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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. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  2. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  3. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  4. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  5. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  6. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  7. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  8. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  9. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  10. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  11. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  12. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  13. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  14. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  15. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  16. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  17. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  18. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  19. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  20. How do you ________________ your surname?
  21. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  22. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  23. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  24. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — a division
  2. snap — to speak sharply
  3. branch — of a tree
  4. snap — to snap out of it
  5. leaves — of a tree
  6. content — the amount
  7. pitch — completely
  8. rock — music
  9. pitch — a sports field
  10. rock — to move gently
  11. pitch — a sales talk
  12. branch — of a bank
  13. rock — a stone
  14. spell — a short time
  15. rest — what's left
  16. leaves — to go away
  17. snap — to click
  18. leaves — lets stay
  19. content — happy
  20. spell — letters
  21. rest — a break
  22. content — videos and posts
  23. spell — magic
  24. rest — what's left

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