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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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468
Word bank
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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. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  2. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  3. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  4. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  5. Did you ________________ the meat?
  6. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  7. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  8. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  9. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  10. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  11. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  12. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  13. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  14. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  15. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  16. I can't ________________ this cold.
  17. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  18. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  19. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  20. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  21. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  22. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  23. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  24. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — a division
  2. stand — on your feet
  3. snap — to click
  4. stand — for spectators
  5. season — to add flavour
  6. snap — to speak sharply
  7. bear — to put up with
  8. content — happy
  9. staff — a stick
  10. season — of the year
  11. branch — of a bank
  12. bear — the animal
  13. branch — of a tree
  14. content — the amount
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. stand — to bear
  17. snap — to snap out of it
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. season — in sport
  20. bear — the animal
  21. content — videos and posts
  22. racket — a loud noise
  23. staff — employees
  24. staff — employees

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