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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: rush · mark · content · branch · kick · stick · land · mate

  1. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  2. Have you found your soul ________________?
  3. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  4. That must've been a ________________.
  5. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  6. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  7. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  8. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  9. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  10. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  13. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  14. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  15. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  16. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  17. When are we going to ________________?
  18. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  19. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  20. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  21. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  22. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  23. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  24. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — hurry
  2. mate — a partner
  3. branch — a division
  4. rush — a thrill
  5. branch — of a bank
  6. kick — in football
  7. land — a country
  8. kick — a thrill
  9. content — the amount
  10. mate — to breed
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. kick — with a leg
  14. mark — a trace
  15. mate — a friend
  16. branch — of a tree
  17. land — to come down
  18. content — videos and posts
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. rush — to hurry
  21. content — happy
  22. stick — to attach or keep to
  23. mark — a grade
  24. land — ground

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