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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 light ________________ burned out.
  2. I've got to change the light ________________.
  3. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  4. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  5. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  6. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  7. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  8. She's very handy with a ________________.
  9. Did you ________________ the meat?
  10. He works in a ________________ mill.
  11. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  12. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  13. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  14. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  15. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  16. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  17. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  18. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. bulb — for light
  3. branch — of a tree
  4. object — to protest
  5. pit — a fruit stone
  6. saw — past of 'see'
  7. season — in sport
  8. saw — the tool
  9. season — to add flavour
  10. saw — the tool
  11. object — a thing
  12. branch — of a bank
  13. bulb — of a plant
  14. pit — a hole
  15. season — of the year
  16. branch — a division
  17. object — an aim
  18. pit — in a race

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