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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. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  2. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  3. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  4. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  5. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  6. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  7. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  8. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  9. Where did you ________________ them?
  10. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  11. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  12. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  13. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  14. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  15. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  16. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  17. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  18. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  19. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  20. The King held a masked ________________.
  21. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  22. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  23. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  24. I'd like to play a game of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a bank
  2. rest — what's left
  3. rest — a break
  4. bore — to drill
  5. rest — what's left
  6. squash — the vegetable
  7. content — videos and posts
  8. branch — a division
  9. mug — to rob
  10. branch — of a tree
  11. ball — a round shape
  12. bore — to tire
  13. content — happy
  14. mug — a face
  15. bore — gave birth
  16. tear — from crying
  17. mug — a cup
  18. ball — a great time
  19. content — the amount
  20. ball — a dance
  21. tear — from crying
  22. tear — to rip
  23. squash — to crush
  24. squash — the sport

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