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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. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  2. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  3. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  4. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  5. The ________________ went through the wall.
  6. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  7. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  8. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  9. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  10. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  11. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  12. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  13. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  14. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  15. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  16. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  17. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  18. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  19. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  20. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  21. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  22. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  23. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  24. The train ________________ at six o'clock.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — on a finger
  2. mine — for digging
  3. deal — to handle
  4. leaves — lets stay
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. branch — of a tree
  7. content — the amount
  8. mine — an explosive
  9. deal — an agreement
  10. content — videos and posts
  11. branch — of a bank
  12. ruler — a monarch
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. foot — a measure
  15. leaves — of a tree
  16. mine — belonging to me
  17. content — happy
  18. foot — part of the body
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. foot — the bottom
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. branch — a division
  23. deal — a big deal
  24. leaves — to go away

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