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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. She's very handy with a ________________.
  2. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  3. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  4. He works in a ________________ mill.
  5. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  6. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  7. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  8. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  9. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  10. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  11. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  12. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  13. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  14. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  15. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  16. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  17. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  18. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  19. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  20. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  21. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  22. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  23. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  24. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. content — happy
  3. branch — of a tree
  4. saw — the tool
  5. content — the amount
  6. face — to confront
  7. drill — a practice
  8. firm — a company
  9. firm — steady
  10. drill — the tool
  11. branch — of a bank
  12. safe — a strongbox
  13. branch — a division
  14. face — to point toward
  15. content — videos and posts
  16. firm — decided
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. saw — past of 'see'
  19. mark — a grade
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. mark — a trace
  22. mark — to pay attention
  23. face — part of the head
  24. drill — army training

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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