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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 120 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. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  2. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  3. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  4. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  5. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  6. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  7. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  8. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  9. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  10. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  11. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  12. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  13. David sat on the ________________.
  14. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  15. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  16. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  17. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  18. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  19. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  20. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  21. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  22. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  23. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  24. Biology is a ________________ of science.

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

Answer key

  1. content — the amount
  2. foot — the bottom
  3. branch — of a bank
  4. prune — the fruit
  5. prune — to trim
  6. branch — of a tree
  7. face — to point toward
  8. pass — to spend time
  9. bore — to tire
  10. prune — to trim
  11. face — to confront
  12. pass — to succeed
  13. swing — to play on
  14. pass — a permit
  15. face — part of the head
  16. content — happy
  17. bore — gave birth
  18. swing — music
  19. foot — part of the body
  20. bore — to drill
  21. foot — a measure
  22. content — videos and posts
  23. swing — in golf
  24. branch — a division

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