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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. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  2. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  3. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  4. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  5. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  6. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  7. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  8. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  9. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  10. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  11. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  12. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  13. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  14. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  15. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  16. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  17. How do you ________________ your surname?
  18. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  19. That must've been a ________________.
  20. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  21. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  22. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  23. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  24. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.

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

Answer key

  1. content — happy
  2. content — videos and posts
  3. branch — of a tree
  4. spell — magic
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. staff — employees
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. field — a subject
  9. rush — hurry
  10. field — farmland
  11. staff — employees
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. branch — a division
  14. staff — a stick
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. content — the amount
  17. spell — letters
  18. spell — a short time
  19. rush — a thrill
  20. field — for sport
  21. rush — to hurry
  22. mouse — for a computer
  23. ruler — a monarch
  24. branch — of a bank

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