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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. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  2. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  3. The ________________ took off on time.
  4. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  5. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  6. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  7. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  8. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  9. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  10. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  11. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  12. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  13. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  14. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  15. That was ________________ to happen.
  16. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  17. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  18. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  19. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  20. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  21. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  22. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  23. How do you ________________ your surname?
  24. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.

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

Answer key

  1. content — the amount
  2. spring — the season
  3. plane — an aircraft
  4. branch — of a bank
  5. root — the cause
  6. can — a tin
  7. spring — of water
  8. content — happy
  9. can — a tin
  10. can — to be able to
  11. content — videos and posts
  12. branch — a division
  13. plane — a tool
  14. spell — magic
  15. bound — certain
  16. root — of a plant
  17. spell — a short time
  18. bound — obliged
  19. plane — in geometry
  20. branch — of a tree
  21. bound — tied together
  22. root — of a word
  23. spell — letters
  24. spring — a coil

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