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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. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  2. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  3. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  4. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  5. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  6. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  7. That must've been a ________________.
  8. Where did you ________________ them?
  9. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  10. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  11. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  12. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  13. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  14. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  15. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  16. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  17. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  18. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  19. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  20. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  21. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  22. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  23. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  24. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — to hurry
  2. bowl — to roll
  3. content — happy
  4. bowl — a football final
  5. content — videos and posts
  6. branch — of a bank
  7. rush — a thrill
  8. mug — to rob
  9. snap — to speak sharply
  10. bowl — a dish
  11. pound — for dogs
  12. branch — of a tree
  13. branch — a division
  14. pound — a weight
  15. pound — to hit hard
  16. content — the amount
  17. rush — hurry
  18. mug — a face
  19. bore — to drill
  20. bore — to tire
  21. mug — a cup
  22. snap — to snap out of it
  23. snap — to click
  24. bore — gave birth

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