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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. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  2. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  3. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  4. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  5. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  6. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  7. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  8. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  9. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  10. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  11. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  12. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  13. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  14. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  15. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  16. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  17. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  18. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  19. That was ________________ to happen.
  20. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  21. The tickets are free of ________________.
  22. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  23. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  24. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — belonging to me
  2. bound — obliged
  3. tear — from crying
  4. bound — tied together
  5. tear — to rip
  6. branch — a division
  7. content — the amount
  8. bowl — a football final
  9. mine — an explosive
  10. branch — of a tree
  11. bowl — a dish
  12. branch — of a bank
  13. bowl — to roll
  14. straw — to clutch at straws
  15. straw — a straw man
  16. charge — in control
  17. straw — dry grass
  18. charge — electricity
  19. bound — certain
  20. tear — from crying
  21. charge — a price
  22. mine — for digging
  23. content — happy
  24. content — videos and posts

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