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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. He works in a ________________ mill.
  2. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  3. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  4. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  5. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  6. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  7. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  8. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  9. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  10. She's very handy with a ________________.
  11. Don't do anything ________________.
  12. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  13. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  14. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  15. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  16. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  17. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  18. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  19. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  20. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  21. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  22. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  23. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  24. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. track — to keep track
  3. firm — steady
  4. branch — of a tree
  5. rash — a series
  6. branch — a division
  7. track — a song
  8. hand — help
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. saw — the tool
  11. rash — hasty
  12. content — videos and posts
  13. saw — past of 'see'
  14. content — happy
  15. rash — on the skin
  16. content — the amount
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. firm — a company
  19. stick — to attach or keep to
  20. firm — decided
  21. hand — in cards
  22. track — a path
  23. branch — of a bank
  24. hand — part of the body

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