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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 120 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. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  2. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  3. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  4. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  5. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  6. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  7. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  8. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  9. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  10. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  11. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  12. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  13. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  14. How do you ________________ your surname?
  15. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  16. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  17. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  18. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  19. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  20. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  21. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  22. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  23. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  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. spell — magic
  2. content — videos and posts
  3. shower — rain
  4. pound — to hit hard
  5. branch — of a bank
  6. content — the amount
  7. leaves — to go away
  8. chip — in a computer
  9. leaves — lets stay
  10. branch — of a tree
  11. shower — a meteor shower
  12. spell — a short time
  13. pound — a weight
  14. spell — letters
  15. pound — for dogs
  16. fall — the season
  17. shower — to wash
  18. chip — for betting
  19. leaves — of a tree
  20. fall — to drop
  21. fall — to drop
  22. branch — a division
  23. chip — to eat
  24. content — happy

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