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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. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  2. The light ________________ burned out.
  3. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  4. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  5. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  6. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  7. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  8. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  9. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  10. We're on a ________________ here.
  11. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  12. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  13. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  14. I've got to change the light ________________.
  15. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  16. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  17. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  18. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  19. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  20. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  21. When will it ________________ you to start?
  22. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  23. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  24. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a cake
  2. bulb — for light
  3. hand — in cards
  4. branch — of a bank
  5. suit — clothes
  6. bat — in an idiom
  7. branch — of a tree
  8. bulb — of a plant
  9. bat — the animal
  10. roll — on a roll
  11. hide — animal skin
  12. branch — a division
  13. hand — part of the body
  14. bulb — for light
  15. hand — help
  16. roll — a list
  17. suit — in cards
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. bat — for baseball
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. suit — to fit
  22. fan — to cool the air
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. fan — a supporter

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