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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 120 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. David sat on the ________________.
  2. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  3. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  4. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  5. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  6. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  7. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  8. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  9. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  10. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  11. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  12. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  13. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  14. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  15. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  16. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  17. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  18. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  19. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  20. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  21. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  22. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  23. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  24. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — to play on
  2. foot — the bottom
  3. squash — to crush
  4. branch — of a bank
  5. mark — a grade
  6. mark — a trace
  7. rule — government
  8. wind — moving air
  9. content — happy
  10. swing — music
  11. wind — moving air
  12. branch — a division
  13. rule — a law
  14. swing — in golf
  15. foot — a measure
  16. content — the amount
  17. content — videos and posts
  18. foot — part of the body
  19. wind — to turn a key
  20. branch — of a tree
  21. rule — to rule out
  22. squash — the sport
  23. squash — the vegetable
  24. mark — to pay attention

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