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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 little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  2. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  3. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  4. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  5. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  6. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  7. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  8. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  9. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  10. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  11. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  12. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  13. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  14. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  15. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  16. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  17. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  18. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  19. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  20. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  21. Did you ________________ the button?
  22. There's no middle ________________.
  23. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  24. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. rest — what's left
  3. content — the amount
  4. rest — a break
  5. branch — a division
  6. dip — a sauce
  7. content — happy
  8. dip — to dunk
  9. branch — of a bank
  10. ground — the earth
  11. ruler — a monarch
  12. content — videos and posts
  13. branch — of a tree
  14. dip — to sink
  15. ground — crushed
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. bear — to put up with
  18. press — newspapers
  19. rest — what's left
  20. bear — the animal
  21. press — to push
  22. ground — a position
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. press — a publisher

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