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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 124 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. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  2. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  3. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  4. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  5. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  6. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  7. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  8. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  9. When will it ________________ you to start?
  10. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  11. When was this ________________ built?
  12. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  13. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  14. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  15. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  16. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  17. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  18. My mare is ________________ in color.
  19. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  20. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  21. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  22. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  23. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  24. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — in cards
  2. wound — an injury
  3. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  4. branch — a division
  5. suit — clothes
  6. content — videos and posts
  7. prune — to trim
  8. prune — to trim
  9. suit — to fit
  10. bay — to keep at bay
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. kid — child
  13. content — the amount
  14. content — happy
  15. bay — a part of the sea
  16. temple — side of the head
  17. branch — of a tree
  18. bay — a horse colour
  19. branch — of a bank
  20. wound — past of 'wind'
  21. prune — the fruit
  22. kid — to tease
  23. wound — an injury
  24. temple — a place of worship

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