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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. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  2. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  3. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  4. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  5. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  6. That must've been a ________________.
  7. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  8. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  9. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  10. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  11. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  12. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  13. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  14. I can't ________________ this cold.
  15. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  16. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  17. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  18. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  19. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  20. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  21. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  22. He was locked up in a ________________.
  23. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  24. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — in cards
  2. stand — on your feet
  3. branch — a division
  4. cell — in biology
  5. bear — the animal
  6. rush — a thrill
  7. staff — employees
  8. rush — hurry
  9. staff — a stick
  10. hand — part of the body
  11. content — happy
  12. cell — a phone
  13. bear — the animal
  14. stand — to bear
  15. content — videos and posts
  16. hand — help
  17. content — the amount
  18. branch — of a bank
  19. rush — to hurry
  20. bear — to put up with
  21. branch — of a tree
  22. cell — in a prison
  23. staff — employees
  24. stand — for spectators

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