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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. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  2. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  3. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  4. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  5. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  6. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  7. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  8. It's one o'clock ________________.
  9. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  10. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  11. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  12. David sat on the ________________.
  13. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  14. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  15. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  16. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  17. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  18. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  19. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  20. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  21. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  22. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  23. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  24. He's quite ________________, isn't he?

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a tree
  2. race — humankind
  3. content — the amount
  4. deal — to handle
  5. swing — music
  6. snap — to click
  7. snap — to snap out of it
  8. sharp — exactly
  9. deal — an agreement
  10. sharp — with an edge
  11. race — the arms race
  12. swing — to play on
  13. bowl — a football final
  14. content — happy
  15. snap — to speak sharply
  16. deal — a big deal
  17. bowl — to roll
  18. race — a contest
  19. branch — a division
  20. branch — of a bank
  21. bowl — a dish
  22. swing — in golf
  23. content — videos and posts
  24. sharp — clever

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