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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. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  2. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  3. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  4. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  5. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  6. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  7. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  8. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  11. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  12. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  13. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  14. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  15. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  16. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  17. There's no middle ________________.
  18. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  19. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  20. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  21. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  22. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  23. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  24. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — to crush
  2. pound — a weight
  3. ground — the earth
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. staff — employees
  6. branch — of a bank
  7. pound — to hit hard
  8. branch — a division
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. rush — to hurry
  11. content — the amount
  12. staff — a stick
  13. staff — employees
  14. lie — to recline
  15. branch — of a tree
  16. squash — the vegetable
  17. ground — a position
  18. content — videos and posts
  19. content — happy
  20. rush — hurry
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. squash — the sport
  23. ground — crushed
  24. pound — for dogs

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