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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. We're almost out of ________________.
  2. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  3. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  4. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  5. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  6. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  7. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  8. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  9. He is an ace ________________.
  10. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  11. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  12. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  13. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  14. You don't need to ________________ round.
  15. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  16. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  17. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  18. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  19. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  20. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  21. When was this ________________ built?
  22. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  23. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  24. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — soda
  2. deal — to handle
  3. branch — a division
  4. temple — side of the head
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. content — happy
  7. branch — of a bank
  8. file — a line of people
  9. pitcher — in baseball
  10. branch — of a tree
  11. pop — music
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. content — videos and posts
  14. pop — to visit
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. content — the amount
  17. file — a tool
  18. file — a document
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. deal — a big deal
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. hide — animal skin
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. deal — an agreement

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