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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. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  2. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  3. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  4. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  5. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  6. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  7. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  8. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  9. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  10. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  13. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  14. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  15. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  16. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  17. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  18. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  19. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  20. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  21. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  22. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  23. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  24. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. straw — dry grass
  3. content — the amount
  4. content — videos and posts
  5. leaves — lets stay
  6. pound — for dogs
  7. snap — to speak sharply
  8. leaves — to go away
  9. can — to be able to
  10. pound — to hit hard
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. snap — to click
  13. branch — of a tree
  14. mark — a trace
  15. snap — to snap out of it
  16. can — a tin
  17. straw — a straw man
  18. straw — to clutch at straws
  19. branch — a division
  20. leaves — of a tree
  21. branch — of a bank
  22. content — happy
  23. mark — a grade
  24. pound — a weight

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