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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. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  2. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  3. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  4. She's very handy with a ________________.
  5. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  6. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  7. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  8. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  9. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  10. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  11. He works in a ________________ mill.
  12. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  13. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  14. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  15. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  16. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  17. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  18. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  19. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  20. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  21. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  22. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  23. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  24. ________________ you help me carry this box?

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. wind — moving air
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. saw — the tool
  5. lie — to recline
  6. content — happy
  7. wind — moving air
  8. object — a thing
  9. wind — to turn a key
  10. branch — of a tree
  11. saw — the tool
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. can — a tin
  14. branch — of a bank
  15. current — of water
  16. branch — a division
  17. content — the amount
  18. current — happening now
  19. current — electric
  20. content — videos and posts
  21. saw — past of 'see'
  22. object — to protest
  23. object — an aim
  24. can — to be able to

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