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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. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  2. The light ________________ burned out.
  3. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  4. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  5. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  6. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  7. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  8. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  9. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  10. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  11. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  12. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  13. That must've been a ________________.
  14. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  15. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  16. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  17. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  18. It's one o'clock ________________.
  19. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  20. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  21. I've got to change the light ________________.
  22. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  23. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  24. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — a monarch
  2. bulb — for light
  3. bark — a dog's sound
  4. branch — of a tree
  5. rush — hurry
  6. branch — a division
  7. bark — to shout
  8. bat — for baseball
  9. bark — of a tree
  10. sharp — with an edge
  11. bulb — of a plant
  12. bat — in an idiom
  13. rush — a thrill
  14. sharp — clever
  15. pit — a hole
  16. rush — to hurry
  17. pit — in a race
  18. sharp — exactly
  19. bat — the animal
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. bulb — for light
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. branch — of a bank
  24. pit — a fruit stone

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