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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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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 dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  2. I've got to change the light ________________.
  3. There's no middle ________________.
  4. He works in a ________________ mill.
  5. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  6. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  7. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  8. She's very handy with a ________________.
  9. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  10. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  11. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  12. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  13. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  14. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  15. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  16. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  17. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  18. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  19. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  20. The light ________________ burned out.
  21. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  22. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  23. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  24. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — a meteor shower
  2. bulb — for light
  3. ground — a position
  4. saw — the tool
  5. shower — to wash
  6. branch — a division
  7. ruler — a monarch
  8. saw — the tool
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. branch — of a bank
  11. bulb — of a plant
  12. shower — rain
  13. fall — to drop
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. ground — crushed
  16. fall — to drop
  17. saw — past of 'see'
  18. snap — to click
  19. ground — the earth
  20. bulb — for light
  21. fall — the season
  22. snap — to snap out of it
  23. branch — of a tree
  24. snap — to speak sharply

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