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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. Did you ________________ the meat?
  3. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  4. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  5. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  6. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  7. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  8. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  9. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  10. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  11. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  12. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  13. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  14. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  15. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  16. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  17. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  18. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  19. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  20. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  21. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  22. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  23. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  24. We were using a ________________ as a seat.

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

Answer key

  1. content — the amount
  2. season — to add flavour
  3. pass — to spend time
  4. ruler — a monarch
  5. fine — all right
  6. pass — a permit
  7. season — of the year
  8. rock — to move gently
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. branch — a division
  11. fine — high quality
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. content — videos and posts
  14. fine — a penalty
  15. branch — of a tree
  16. content — happy
  17. season — in sport
  18. snap — to click
  19. snap — to speak sharply
  20. rock — music
  21. snap — to snap out of it
  22. pass — to succeed
  23. branch — of a bank
  24. rock — a stone

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