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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. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  2. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  3. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  4. Where did you ________________ them?
  5. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  6. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  7. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  8. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  9. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. How do you ________________ your surname?
  12. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  13. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  14. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  15. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  16. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  17. The light ________________ burned out.
  18. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  19. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  20. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  21. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  22. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  23. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  24. He is as ________________ as a wolf.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — in music
  2. lean — to bend
  3. squash — the sport
  4. mug — to rob
  5. mug — a face
  6. spell — a short time
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. squash — the vegetable
  9. squash — to crush
  10. bulb — for light
  11. spell — letters
  12. branch — of a bank
  13. scale — size or range
  14. spell — magic
  15. lean — to rest against
  16. bulb — of a plant
  17. bulb — for light
  18. ruler — a monarch
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. branch — a division
  21. mug — a cup
  22. scale — for weighing
  23. branch — of a tree
  24. lean — thin

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