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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. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  2. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  3. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  4. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  5. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  6. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  7. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  8. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  9. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  10. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  11. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  12. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  13. He is an ace ________________.
  14. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  15. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  16. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  17. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  18. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  19. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  20. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  21. How do you ________________ your surname?
  22. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  23. When will it ________________ you to start?
  24. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a tree
  2. content — happy
  3. firm — decided
  4. wound — an injury
  5. firm — steady
  6. content — the amount
  7. branch — of a bank
  8. content — videos and posts
  9. wound — past of 'wind'
  10. firm — a company
  11. branch — a division
  12. wound — an injury
  13. pitcher — in baseball
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. spell — a short time
  16. bowl — a football final
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. spell — magic
  19. bowl — a dish
  20. suit — clothes
  21. spell — letters
  22. bowl — to roll
  23. suit — to fit
  24. suit — in cards

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