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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 assure you, everything's ________________.
  2. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  5. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  6. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  7. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  8. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  9. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  10. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  11. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  12. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  13. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  14. The light ________________ burned out.
  15. Have you found your soul ________________?
  16. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  17. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  18. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?

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

Answer key

  1. fine — all right
  2. wake — a trail
  3. bulb — for light
  4. snap — to click
  5. snap — to speak sharply
  6. branch — a division
  7. bulb — of a plant
  8. mate — to breed
  9. branch — of a bank
  10. wake — to stop sleeping
  11. wake — before a funeral
  12. fine — high quality
  13. branch — of a tree
  14. bulb — for light
  15. mate — a partner
  16. fine — a penalty
  17. snap — to snap out of it
  18. mate — a friend

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