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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. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  2. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  3. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  4. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  5. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  6. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  7. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  8. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  9. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  10. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  11. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  12. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  13. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  14. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  15. That must've been a ________________.
  16. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  17. There's no middle ________________.
  18. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  19. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  20. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  21. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  22. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  23. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  24. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — to hurry
  2. branch — a division
  3. fall — to drop
  4. branch — of a tree
  5. ground — the earth
  6. foot — the bottom
  7. foot — a measure
  8. content — happy
  9. foot — part of the body
  10. content — videos and posts
  11. bear — to put up with
  12. content — the amount
  13. rush — hurry
  14. branch — of a bank
  15. rush — a thrill
  16. bear — the animal
  17. ground — a position
  18. bank — for money
  19. bear — the animal
  20. fall — to drop
  21. ground — crushed
  22. fall — the season
  23. bank — of a river
  24. bank — for money

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