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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. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  2. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  3. She's very handy with a ________________.
  4. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  7. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  8. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  9. The light ________________ burned out.
  10. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  11. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  12. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  13. He works in a ________________ mill.
  14. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  15. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  16. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  17. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  18. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  19. Did you ________________ the button?
  20. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  21. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  22. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  23. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  24. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — of a plant
  2. perch — the fish
  3. saw — the tool
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. bulb — for light
  6. squash — to crush
  7. press — newspapers
  8. branch — a division
  9. bulb — for light
  10. lash — a whip stroke
  11. saw — past of 'see'
  12. stick — to attach or keep to
  13. saw — the tool
  14. squash — the sport
  15. squash — the vegetable
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. branch — of a bank
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. press — to push
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. press — a publisher
  22. branch — of a tree
  23. lash — an eyelash
  24. lash — to lash out

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