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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. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  2. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  3. We're almost out of ________________.
  4. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  5. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  6. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  7. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  8. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  9. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  10. The tickets are free of ________________.
  11. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  12. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  13. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  14. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  15. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  16. You don't need to ________________ round.
  17. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  18. He is an ace ________________.
  19. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  20. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  21. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  22. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  23. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  24. The elephant has a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a bank
  2. snap — to speak sharply
  3. pop — soda
  4. branch — of a tree
  5. content — happy
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. snap — to snap out of it
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. snap — to click
  10. charge — a price
  11. trunk — of a car
  12. trunk — of a tree
  13. pop — music
  14. content — the amount
  15. row — a line
  16. pop — to visit
  17. content — videos and posts
  18. pitcher — in baseball
  19. branch — a division
  20. charge — electricity
  21. row — to paddle
  22. row — a quarrel
  23. charge — in control
  24. trunk — of an elephant

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