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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. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  2. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  3. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  4. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  5. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  6. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  7. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  8. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  9. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  10. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  11. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  12. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  13. Don't do anything ________________.
  14. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  15. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  16. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  17. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  18. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  19. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  20. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  21. How do you ________________ your surname?
  22. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  23. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  24. When are we going to ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. spell — magic
  2. branch — of a bank
  3. can — a tin
  4. content — videos and posts
  5. branch — a division
  6. pitch — a sales talk
  7. lie — to recline
  8. pitch — completely
  9. rash — a series
  10. content — happy
  11. spell — a short time
  12. can — to be able to
  13. rash — hasty
  14. content — the amount
  15. rash — on the skin
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. can — a tin
  18. land — ground
  19. pitch — a sports field
  20. land — a country
  21. spell — letters
  22. branch — of a tree
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. land — to come down

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