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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 120 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. Where did you ________________ them?
  2. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  3. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  4. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  5. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  6. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  7. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  8. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  9. When was this ________________ built?
  10. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  11. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  12. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  13. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  14. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  15. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  16. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  17. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  18. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  19. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  20. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  21. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  22. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  23. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  24. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — to rob
  2. lean — to rest against
  3. lean — to bend
  4. content — happy
  5. content — the amount
  6. bowl — to roll
  7. branch — of a tree
  8. mug — a face
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. bank — of a river
  11. temple — side of the head
  12. field — a subject
  13. lean — thin
  14. bank — for money
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. bowl — a football final
  17. content — videos and posts
  18. branch — a division
  19. field — for sport
  20. bank — for money
  21. mug — a cup
  22. branch — of a bank
  23. field — farmland
  24. bowl — a dish

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