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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. It's one o'clock ________________.
  2. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  3. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  4. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  5. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  6. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  7. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  8. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  9. My mare is ________________ in color.
  10. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  11. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  12. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  13. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  14. The tickets are free of ________________.
  15. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  16. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  17. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  18. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  19. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  20. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  21. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  22. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  23. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  24. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — exactly
  2. branch — a division
  3. content — the amount
  4. staff — a stick
  5. chest — a box
  6. branch — of a tree
  7. sharp — clever
  8. staff — employees
  9. bay — a horse colour
  10. present — the time now
  11. bay — a part of the sea
  12. sharp — with an edge
  13. content — happy
  14. charge — a price
  15. charge — electricity
  16. staff — employees
  17. content — videos and posts
  18. branch — of a bank
  19. chest — of your body
  20. present — a gift
  21. present — there
  22. bay — to keep at bay
  23. charge — in control
  24. chest — of your body

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