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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. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  2. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  3. The King held a masked ________________.
  4. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  5. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  6. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  7. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  8. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  9. That was ________________ to happen.
  10. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  11. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  12. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  13. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  14. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  15. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  16. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  17. I can't ________________ this cold.
  18. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  19. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  20. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  21. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  22. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  23. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  24. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — a division
  2. ball — a round shape
  3. ball — a dance
  4. branch — of a tree
  5. chest — a box
  6. file — a document
  7. stand — for spectators
  8. bound — obliged
  9. bound — certain
  10. chest — of your body
  11. ball — a great time
  12. snap — to speak sharply
  13. file — a tool
  14. bound — tied together
  15. chest — of your body
  16. file — a line of people
  17. stand — to bear
  18. branch — of a bank
  19. content — the amount
  20. content — happy
  21. snap — to snap out of it
  22. stand — on your feet
  23. content — videos and posts
  24. snap — to click

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