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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. I can't ________________ this cold.
  2. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  3. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  4. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  5. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  6. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  7. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  8. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  9. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  10. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  11. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  12. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  13. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  14. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  15. You don't need to ________________ round.
  16. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  17. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  18. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  19. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  20. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  21. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  22. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  23. We're almost out of ________________.
  24. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — to bear
  2. kick — in football
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. branch — of a tree
  5. content — videos and posts
  6. branch — of a bank
  7. craft — boats
  8. chair — a leader
  9. chair — to sit on
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. kick — with a leg
  12. chair — a professorship
  13. branch — a division
  14. ruler — a monarch
  15. pop — to visit
  16. stand — on your feet
  17. kick — a thrill
  18. craft — a skill
  19. content — the amount
  20. pop — music
  21. craft — a handicraft
  22. content — happy
  23. pop — soda
  24. stand — for spectators

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