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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. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  2. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  3. He is an ace ________________.
  4. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  5. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  6. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  7. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  8. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  9. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  10. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  11. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  12. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  13. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  14. It's one o'clock ________________.
  15. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  16. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  17. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  18. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  19. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  20. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  21. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  22. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  23. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  24. Did you ________________ the meat?

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a tree
  2. content — the amount
  3. pitcher — in baseball
  4. can — to be able to
  5. face — to confront
  6. can — a tin
  7. content — happy
  8. content — videos and posts
  9. branch — a division
  10. can — a tin
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. wake — to stop sleeping
  13. season — in sport
  14. sharp — exactly
  15. wake — a trail
  16. season — of the year
  17. wake — before a funeral
  18. sharp — clever
  19. face — part of the head
  20. sharp — with an edge
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. branch — of a bank
  23. face — to point toward
  24. season — to add flavour

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