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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. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  2. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  3. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  4. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  5. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  6. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  7. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  8. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  9. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  10. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  11. We're almost out of ________________.
  12. You don't need to ________________ round.
  13. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  14. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  15. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  16. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  17. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  18. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  19. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  20. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  21. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  22. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  23. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  24. Have you found your soul ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. branch — of a bank
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. mark — a trace
  5. content — happy
  6. mate — a friend
  7. mouse — for a computer
  8. mark — to pay attention
  9. content — videos and posts
  10. content — the amount
  11. pop — soda
  12. pop — to visit
  13. mark — a grade
  14. snap — to snap out of it
  15. branch — of a tree
  16. snap — to click
  17. pop — music
  18. mate — to breed
  19. snap — to speak sharply
  20. branch — a division
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. stick — to attach or keep to
  24. mate — a partner

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