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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 124 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. When will it ________________ you to start?
  2. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  3. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  4. We're on a ________________ here.
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  7. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  10. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  11. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  12. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  13. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  14. He was locked up in a ________________.
  15. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  16. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  17. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  18. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  19. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  20. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  21. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  22. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  23. False peace will not ________________.
  24. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!

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

Answer key

  1. suit — to fit
  2. roll — a list
  3. suit — in cards
  4. roll — on a roll
  5. bulb — for light
  6. bear — the animal
  7. branch — a division
  8. bulb — for light
  9. bear — the animal
  10. calf — of the leg
  11. bear — to put up with
  12. last — finally
  13. suit — clothes
  14. cell — in a prison
  15. branch — of a tree
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. last — final
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. branch — of a bank
  20. roll — a cake
  21. bulb — of a plant
  22. cell — in biology
  23. last — to go on
  24. cell — a phone

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