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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. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  3. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  4. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  5. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  6. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  7. He is an ace ________________.
  8. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  9. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  10. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  11. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  12. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  13. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  14. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  15. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  16. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  17. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  18. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  19. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  20. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  21. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  22. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  23. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  24. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a tree
  2. tear — from crying
  3. branch — of a bank
  4. club — for golf
  5. content — videos and posts
  6. ruler — a monarch
  7. pitcher — in baseball
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. dip — to sink
  10. branch — a division
  11. kick — in football
  12. content — happy
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. content — the amount
  15. tear — to rip
  16. kick — with a leg
  17. dip — to dunk
  18. kick — a thrill
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. tear — from crying
  21. club — for dancing
  22. dip — a sauce
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. club — a group

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