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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. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  2. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  3. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  4. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  5. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  6. What do you think of the new ________________?
  7. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  8. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  9. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  10. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  11. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  12. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  13. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  14. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  15. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  16. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  17. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  18. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  19. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  20. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  21. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  22. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  23. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  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 — videos and posts
  2. rule — to rule out
  3. dip — to sink
  4. cabinet — a cupboard
  5. branch — of a tree
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. rule — a law
  9. row — a quarrel
  10. can — a tin
  11. dip — to dunk
  12. row — a line
  13. can — a tin
  14. foot — the bottom
  15. can — to be able to
  16. branch — a division
  17. foot — part of the body
  18. content — happy
  19. row — to paddle
  20. dip — a sauce
  21. foot — a measure
  22. rule — government
  23. content — the amount
  24. branch — of a bank

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