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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. I've got to change the light ________________.
  2. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  3. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  4. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  5. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  6. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  7. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  8. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  9. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  10. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  11. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  12. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  13. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  14. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  15. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  16. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  17. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  18. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  19. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  20. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  21. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  22. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  23. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  24. The light ________________ burned out.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. wake — before a funeral
  3. bank — of a river
  4. bowl — a football final
  5. cue — a signal
  6. chest — of your body
  7. bowl — to roll
  8. wake — to stop sleeping
  9. fall — to drop
  10. fall — to drop
  11. chest — a box
  12. bulb — of a plant
  13. branch — of a tree
  14. wake — a trail
  15. branch — a division
  16. fall — the season
  17. cue — for pool
  18. bowl — a dish
  19. chest — of your body
  20. bank — for money
  21. branch — of a bank
  22. cue — a hint
  23. bank — for money
  24. bulb — for light

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