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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. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  2. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  3. That must've been a ________________.
  4. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  5. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  6. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  7. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  8. My father caught me by the ________________.
  9. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  10. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  11. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  12. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  13. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  14. Have you settled on a ________________?
  15. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  16. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  17. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  18. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  19. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  20. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  21. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  22. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  23. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  24. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.

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

Answer key

  1. content — videos and posts
  2. branch — of a tree
  3. rush — a thrill
  4. vault — an arched ceiling
  5. shower — rain
  6. vault — in gymnastics
  7. rush — to hurry
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. content — the amount
  10. branch — a division
  11. mine — an explosive
  12. branch — of a bank
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. vault — a safe
  16. mine — belonging to me
  17. shower — to wash
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. shower — a meteor shower
  20. arm — a part of something
  21. content — happy
  22. rush — hurry
  23. mine — for digging
  24. date — the fruit

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