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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. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  2. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  3. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  4. My mare is ________________ in color.
  5. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  6. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  7. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  8. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  9. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  10. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  11. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  12. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  13. That was ________________ to happen.
  14. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  15. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  16. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  17. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  18. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  19. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  20. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  21. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  22. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  23. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  24. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a tree
  2. branch — a division
  3. branch — of a bank
  4. bay — a horse colour
  5. track — to keep track
  6. content — videos and posts
  7. net — after costs
  8. tear — from crying
  9. tear — to rip
  10. bound — tied together
  11. track — a path
  12. net — in sport
  13. bound — certain
  14. track — a song
  15. bay — to keep at bay
  16. wake — to stop sleeping
  17. content — the amount
  18. tear — from crying
  19. bound — obliged
  20. wake — a trail
  21. wake — before a funeral
  22. content — happy
  23. net — for catching
  24. bay — a part of the sea

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