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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. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  2. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  3. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  4. When will it ________________ you to start?
  5. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  6. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  7. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  8. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  9. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  10. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  11. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  12. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  13. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  14. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  15. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  16. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  17. Where did you ________________ them?
  18. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  19. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  20. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  21. False peace will not ________________.
  22. That must've been a ________________.
  23. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  24. You shouldn't ________________ things.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — clothes
  2. mug — a cup
  3. last — finally
  4. suit — to fit
  5. dip — to dunk
  6. face — part of the head
  7. mug — a face
  8. dip — to sink
  9. content — happy
  10. content — the amount
  11. rush — hurry
  12. branch — a division
  13. suit — in cards
  14. content — videos and posts
  15. face — to point toward
  16. face — to confront
  17. mug — to rob
  18. branch — of a bank
  19. last — final
  20. branch — of a tree
  21. last — to go on
  22. rush — a thrill
  23. dip — a sauce
  24. rush — to hurry

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