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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. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  2. That must've been a ________________.
  3. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  4. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  7. How do you ________________ your surname?
  8. I can't ________________ this cold.
  9. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  10. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  11. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  12. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  13. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  14. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  15. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  16. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  17. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  18. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  19. The light ________________ burned out.
  20. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  21. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  22. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  23. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  24. You shouldn't ________________ things.

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

Answer key

  1. present — there
  2. rush — a thrill
  3. spell — a short time
  4. branch — a division
  5. bulb — for light
  6. stand — on your feet
  7. spell — letters
  8. stand — to bear
  9. branch — of a tree
  10. wax — for sculpting
  11. wax — to grow
  12. present — a gift
  13. rush — hurry
  14. wax — in the ear
  15. pit — in a race
  16. branch — of a bank
  17. present — the time now
  18. spell — magic
  19. bulb — for light
  20. bulb — of a plant
  21. pit — a fruit stone
  22. stand — for spectators
  23. pit — a hole
  24. rush — to hurry

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