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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. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  2. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  3. There's no middle ________________.
  4. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  5. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  6. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  7. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  8. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  9. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  10. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  11. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  12. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  13. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  14. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  15. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  16. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  17. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  18. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  19. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  20. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  21. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  22. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  23. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  24. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — a permit
  2. chip — to eat
  3. ground — a position
  4. branch — of a tree
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. kick — with a leg
  7. pass — to spend time
  8. chip — in a computer
  9. content — happy
  10. branch — a division
  11. ruler — a monarch
  12. content — the amount
  13. tear — from crying
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. kick — in football
  16. pass — to succeed
  17. branch — of a bank
  18. ground — crushed
  19. kick — a thrill
  20. tear — from crying
  21. chip — for betting
  22. ground — the earth
  23. tear — to rip
  24. content — videos and posts

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