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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. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  2. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  3. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  4. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  5. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  6. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  7. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  8. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  9. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  10. He was locked up in a ________________.
  11. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  12. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  13. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  14. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  15. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  16. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  17. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  18. The tickets are free of ________________.
  19. The ball is in your ________________.
  20. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  21. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  22. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  23. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  24. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of law
  2. fine — all right
  3. snap — to speak sharply
  4. branch — of a tree
  5. branch — a division
  6. fine — a penalty
  7. snap — to click
  8. content — videos and posts
  9. branch — of a bank
  10. cell — in a prison
  11. content — the amount
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. cell — a phone
  14. hide — animal skin
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. court — of a king
  17. charge — in control
  18. charge — a price
  19. court — for sport
  20. cell — in biology
  21. snap — to snap out of it
  22. fine — high quality
  23. charge — electricity
  24. content — happy

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