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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. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  2. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  3. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  4. Where did you ________________ them?
  5. It's one o'clock ________________.
  6. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  7. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  8. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  9. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  10. Have you found your soul ________________?
  11. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  12. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  13. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  14. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  15. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  16. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  17. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  18. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  19. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  20. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  21. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  22. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  23. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  24. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — to breed
  2. bank — of a river
  3. file — a line of people
  4. mug — to rob
  5. sharp — exactly
  6. content — videos and posts
  7. lean — thin
  8. lean — to rest against
  9. bank — for money
  10. mate — a partner
  11. bark — a dog's sound
  12. sharp — with an edge
  13. content — happy
  14. lean — to bend
  15. mug — a cup
  16. content — the amount
  17. mate — a friend
  18. file — a document
  19. bark — to shout
  20. file — a tool
  21. sharp — clever
  22. bark — of a tree
  23. mug — a face
  24. bank — for money

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