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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. Have you settled on a ________________?
  2. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  3. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  4. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  5. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  6. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  7. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  8. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  9. I've got to change the light ________________.
  10. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  11. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  12. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  13. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  14. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  15. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  16. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  17. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  18. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  19. The light ________________ burned out.
  20. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  21. When will it ________________ you to start?
  22. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  23. How do you ________________ your surname?
  24. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. suit — clothes
  3. spell — a short time
  4. spell — magic
  5. branch — of a bank
  6. bat — the animal
  7. straw — a straw man
  8. firm — steady
  9. bulb — for light
  10. suit — in cards
  11. branch — of a tree
  12. straw — dry grass
  13. bat — for baseball
  14. branch — a division
  15. firm — a company
  16. bulb — of a plant
  17. date — the fruit
  18. straw — to clutch at straws
  19. bulb — for light
  20. bat — in an idiom
  21. suit — to fit
  22. firm — decided
  23. spell — letters
  24. date — on the calendar

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