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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. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  5. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  6. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  7. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  8. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  9. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  10. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  11. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  12. I've got to change the light ________________.
  13. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  14. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  15. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  16. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  17. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  18. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. wax — for sculpting
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. leaves — to go away
  5. firm — steady
  6. branch — a division
  7. branch — of a bank
  8. firm — decided
  9. leaves — of a tree
  10. leaves — lets stay
  11. chair — a leader
  12. bulb — for light
  13. firm — a company
  14. branch — of a tree
  15. wax — to grow
  16. chair — to sit on
  17. wax — in the ear
  18. chair — a professorship

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