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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 116 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. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  2. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  3. When are we going to ________________?
  4. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  5. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  6. Did you ________________ the meat?
  7. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  8. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  9. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  10. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  11. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  12. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  13. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  14. When will it ________________ you to start?
  15. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  16. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  17. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  18. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  19. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  20. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  21. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  22. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  23. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  24. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. content — videos and posts
  3. land — to come down
  4. firm — steady
  5. branch — of a tree
  6. season — to add flavour
  7. wound — past of 'wind'
  8. content — happy
  9. rock — music
  10. season — of the year
  11. suit — clothes
  12. content — the amount
  13. land — a country
  14. suit — to fit
  15. suit — in cards
  16. wound — an injury
  17. branch — a division
  18. land — ground
  19. branch — of a bank
  20. rock — a stone
  21. firm — a company
  22. firm — decided
  23. rock — to move gently
  24. season — in sport

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