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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 124 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 newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  2. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  3. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  4. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  5. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  6. There's no middle ________________.
  7. The tickets are free of ________________.
  8. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  9. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  10. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  11. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  12. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  13. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  14. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  15. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  16. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  17. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  18. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  19. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  20. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  21. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  22. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  23. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  24. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — the bottom
  2. ground — the earth
  3. branch — a division
  4. branch — of a tree
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. ground — a position
  7. charge — a price
  8. row — to paddle
  9. ground — crushed
  10. row — a quarrel
  11. foot — part of the body
  12. foot — a measure
  13. branch — of a bank
  14. row — a line
  15. wound — an injury
  16. content — happy
  17. content — the amount
  18. content — videos and posts
  19. charge — in control
  20. wound — past of 'wind'
  21. wound — an injury
  22. lie — to recline
  23. charge — electricity
  24. lie — an untruth

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