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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 120 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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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: spell · mug · object · branch · rest · pit · bank · content

  1. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  2. Where did you ________________ them?
  3. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  4. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  5. How do you ________________ your surname?
  6. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  7. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  8. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  9. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  10. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  11. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  12. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  13. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  14. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  15. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  16. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  17. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  18. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  19. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  20. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  21. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  22. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  23. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  24. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a face
  2. mug — to rob
  3. spell — a short time
  4. content — the amount
  5. spell — letters
  6. pit — a fruit stone
  7. object — to protest
  8. branch — a division
  9. rest — a break
  10. pit — a hole
  11. object — a thing
  12. spell — magic
  13. content — videos and posts
  14. object — an aim
  15. content — happy
  16. rest — what's left
  17. mug — a cup
  18. bank — of a river
  19. branch — of a bank
  20. branch — of a tree
  21. pit — in a race
  22. rest — what's left
  23. bank — for money
  24. bank — for money

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