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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 116 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  2. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  3. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  4. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  5. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  6. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  7. That must've been a ________________.
  8. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  9. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  10. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  11. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  12. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  13. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  14. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  15. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  16. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  17. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  18. Recycle the empty soda ________________.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. branch — a division
  3. bear — the animal
  4. rush — to hurry
  5. branch — of a tree
  6. cap — a lid
  7. rush — a thrill
  8. branch — of a bank
  9. cap — a hat
  10. cap — of ice
  11. bear — to put up with
  12. can — to be able to
  13. content — happy
  14. bear — the animal
  15. content — the amount
  16. rush — hurry
  17. content — videos and posts
  18. can — a tin

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com