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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. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  3. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  4. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  5. He works in a ________________ mill.
  6. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  7. That must've been a ________________.
  8. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  9. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  10. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  11. She's very handy with a ________________.
  12. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  13. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  14. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  15. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  16. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  17. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  18. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  19. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  20. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  21. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  22. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  23. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  24. Would you like some apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. rush — to hurry
  2. branch — of a bank
  3. spring — a coil
  4. lean — thin
  5. saw — the tool
  6. content — the amount
  7. rush — a thrill
  8. lean — to rest against
  9. pitch — a sales talk
  10. spring — the season
  11. saw — the tool
  12. pitch — completely
  13. jam — a tight spot
  14. rush — hurry
  15. pitch — a sports field
  16. branch — a division
  17. branch — of a tree
  18. saw — past of 'see'
  19. lean — to bend
  20. content — videos and posts
  21. spring — of water
  22. jam — in traffic
  23. content — happy
  24. jam — to spread on bread

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