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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. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  2. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  3. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  4. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  5. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  6. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  7. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  8. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  9. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  10. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  11. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  12. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  13. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  14. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  15. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  16. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  17. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  18. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  19. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  20. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  21. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  22. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  23. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  24. Where did you ________________ them?

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

Answer key

  1. wake — before a funeral
  2. mug — a cup
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. content — happy
  5. branch — of a tree
  6. branch — of a bank
  7. wake — to stop sleeping
  8. pound — to hit hard
  9. content — the amount
  10. degree — an amount
  11. lie — to recline
  12. mug — a face
  13. can — a tin
  14. pound — a weight
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. branch — a division
  17. can — to be able to
  18. content — videos and posts
  19. can — a tin
  20. pound — for dogs
  21. wake — a trail
  22. degree — temperature
  23. degree — from a university
  24. mug — to rob

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