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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 little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  2. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  3. The light ________________ burned out.
  4. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  5. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  6. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  7. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  8. He is an ace ________________.
  9. I've got to change the light ________________.
  10. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  11. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  12. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  13. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  14. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  15. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  16. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  17. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  18. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. firm — steady
  3. bulb — for light
  4. lash — an eyelash
  5. lash — a whip stroke
  6. firm — decided
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. pitcher — in baseball
  9. bulb — for light
  10. bear — to put up with
  11. firm — a company
  12. lash — to lash out
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. branch — a division
  15. branch — of a tree
  16. bear — the animal
  17. bulb — of a plant
  18. branch — of a bank

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