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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. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  2. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  3. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  4. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  5. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  6. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  7. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  8. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  9. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  10. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  11. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  12. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  13. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  14. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  15. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  16. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  17. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  18. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  19. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  20. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  21. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  22. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  23. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  24. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — of a river
  2. content — videos and posts
  3. content — happy
  4. field — for sport
  5. mark — a grade
  6. snap — to click
  7. mark — a trace
  8. bore — to drill
  9. field — farmland
  10. bore — gave birth
  11. content — the amount
  12. field — a subject
  13. mouse — for a computer
  14. branch — a division
  15. branch — of a tree
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. branch — of a bank
  18. mark — to pay attention
  19. bank — for money
  20. snap — to speak sharply
  21. bore — to tire
  22. snap — to snap out of it
  23. bank — for money
  24. mouse — the animal

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