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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. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  2. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  3. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  4. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  5. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  6. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  7. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  8. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  9. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  10. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  11. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  12. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  13. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  14. The ________________ went through the wall.
  15. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  16. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  17. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  18. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  19. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  20. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  21. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  22. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  23. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  24. False peace will not ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. branch — of a tree
  3. perch — the fish
  4. branch — a division
  5. present — the time now
  6. branch — of a bank
  7. present — a gift
  8. present — there
  9. content — happy
  10. dip — to sink
  11. last — finally
  12. last — final
  13. nail — on a finger
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. content — videos and posts
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. dip — to dunk
  19. fall — the season
  20. content — the amount
  21. fall — to drop
  22. dip — a sauce
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. last — to go on

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