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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 had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  2. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  3. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  4. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  5. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  6. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  7. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  8. Where did you ________________ them?
  9. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  10. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  11. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  12. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  13. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  14. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  15. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  16. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  17. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  18. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  19. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  20. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  21. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  22. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  23. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  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. row — to paddle
  2. branch — a division
  3. can — a tin
  4. row — a line
  5. branch — of a tree
  6. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  7. mug — a cup
  8. mug — to rob
  9. prune — to trim
  10. lash — to lash out
  11. content — the amount
  12. content — videos and posts
  13. content — happy
  14. lash — a whip stroke
  15. prune — the fruit
  16. lash — an eyelash
  17. row — a quarrel
  18. mug — a face
  19. kid — to tease
  20. can — to be able to
  21. prune — to trim
  22. can — a tin
  23. kid — child
  24. branch — of a bank

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