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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 124 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. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  2. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  3. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  4. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  5. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  6. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  7. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  8. Don't do anything ________________.
  9. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  10. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  11. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  12. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  13. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  14. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  15. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  16. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  17. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  18. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  19. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  20. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  21. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  22. It's one o'clock ________________.
  23. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  24. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — a series
  2. bear — the animal
  3. capital — a big letter
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. ruler — a monarch
  6. content — the amount
  7. sharp — clever
  8. rash — hasty
  9. content — videos and posts
  10. sharp — with an edge
  11. branch — of a tree
  12. leaves — lets stay
  13. branch — a division
  14. capital — money
  15. leaves — of a tree
  16. capital — a city
  17. branch — of a bank
  18. leaves — to go away
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. bear — to put up with
  21. rash — on the skin
  22. sharp — exactly
  23. bear — the animal
  24. content — happy

Multiple-meaning words list

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

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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