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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. David sat on the ________________.
  2. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  3. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  4. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  5. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  6. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  7. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  8. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  9. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  10. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  11. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  12. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  13. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  14. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  15. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  16. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  17. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  18. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  19. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  20. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  21. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  22. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  23. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  24. Boris sat near the fire ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — to play on
  2. prune — to trim
  3. swing — in golf
  4. branch — of a tree
  5. content — videos and posts
  6. swing — music
  7. face — to point toward
  8. pit — in a race
  9. face — to confront
  10. branch — of a bank
  11. can — to be able to
  12. prune — the fruit
  13. pit — a fruit stone
  14. bear — the animal
  15. prune — to trim
  16. branch — a division
  17. content — happy
  18. face — part of the head
  19. content — the amount
  20. bear — to put up with
  21. bear — the animal
  22. can — a tin
  23. can — a tin
  24. pit — a hole

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