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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 chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  2. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  3. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  4. Where did you ________________ them?
  5. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  6. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  7. She's very handy with a ________________.
  8. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  9. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  10. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  13. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  14. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  15. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  16. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  17. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  18. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  19. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  20. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  21. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  22. He works in a ________________ mill.
  23. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  24. She got the top ________________ in the exam.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a tree
  2. wound — past of 'wind'
  3. mug — a cup
  4. mug — to rob
  5. content — videos and posts
  6. march — the month
  7. saw — the tool
  8. content — happy
  9. wound — an injury
  10. current — happening now
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. current — of water
  13. saw — past of 'see'
  14. mark — a trace
  15. branch — of a bank
  16. branch — a division
  17. march — the month
  18. wound — an injury
  19. mug — a face
  20. current — electric
  21. content — the amount
  22. saw — the tool
  23. march — music
  24. mark — a grade

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