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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. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  2. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  3. The light ________________ burned out.
  4. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  5. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  6. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  7. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  8. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  9. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  10. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  11. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  12. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  13. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  14. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  15. My mare is ________________ in color.
  16. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  17. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  18. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  19. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  20. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  21. I've got to change the light ________________.
  22. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  23. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  24. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a part of the sea
  2. branch — of a bank
  3. bulb — for light
  4. content — the amount
  5. bulb — of a plant
  6. lean — thin
  7. degree — from a university
  8. bay — to keep at bay
  9. can — to be able to
  10. lean — to bend
  11. branch — of a tree
  12. degree — temperature
  13. lean — to rest against
  14. degree — an amount
  15. bay — a horse colour
  16. content — happy
  17. can — a tin
  18. branch — a division
  19. track — a path
  20. can — a tin
  21. bulb — for light
  22. track — to keep track
  23. content — videos and posts
  24. track — a song

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