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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. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  2. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  3. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  4. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  5. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  6. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  7. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  8. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  9. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  10. He was locked up in a ________________.
  11. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  12. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  13. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  14. I'll be taking the ________________.
  15. How do you ________________ your surname?
  16. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  17. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  18. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  19. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  20. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  21. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  22. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  23. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  24. That was ________________ to happen.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in biology
  2. branch — of a tree
  3. cell — a phone
  4. spell — magic
  5. fall — to drop
  6. branch — a division
  7. bound — obliged
  8. bore — to tire
  9. content — happy
  10. cell — in a prison
  11. content — videos and posts
  12. fall — the season
  13. fall — to drop
  14. tube — the underground
  15. spell — letters
  16. bore — gave birth
  17. content — the amount
  18. bound — tied together
  19. spell — a short time
  20. tube — a container
  21. bore — to drill
  22. branch — of a bank
  23. tube — in a tire
  24. bound — certain

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