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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. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  2. I've got to change the light ________________.
  3. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  4. She's very handy with a ________________.
  5. I can't ________________ this cold.
  6. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  7. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  8. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  9. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  10. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  11. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  12. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  13. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  14. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  15. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  16. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  17. Where did you ________________ them?
  18. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  19. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  20. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  21. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  22. The light ________________ burned out.
  23. He works in a ________________ mill.
  24. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a tree
  2. bulb — for light
  3. bank — of a river
  4. saw — the tool
  5. stand — to bear
  6. bank — for money
  7. field — a subject
  8. branch — a division
  9. stand — for spectators
  10. present — the time now
  11. saw — past of 'see'
  12. mug — a face
  13. field — farmland
  14. bulb — of a plant
  15. branch — of a bank
  16. mug — a cup
  17. mug — to rob
  18. bank — for money
  19. stand — on your feet
  20. present — a gift
  21. present — there
  22. bulb — for light
  23. saw — the tool
  24. field — for sport

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