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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 120 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 ________________ change colour in autumn.
  2. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  3. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  4. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  5. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  6. The light ________________ burned out.
  7. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  8. Where did you ________________ them?
  9. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  10. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  11. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  12. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  13. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  14. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  15. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  16. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  17. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  18. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  19. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  20. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  21. I've got to change the light ________________.
  22. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  23. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  24. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — of a tree
  2. hand — part of the body
  3. hand — in cards
  4. mug — a cup
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. bulb — for light
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. mug — to rob
  9. mug — a face
  10. drill — a practice
  11. hand — help
  12. leaves — lets stay
  13. branch — of a bank
  14. branch — of a tree
  15. drill — army training
  16. branch — a division
  17. pound — to hit hard
  18. pound — a weight
  19. bulb — of a plant
  20. stick — to attach or keep to
  21. bulb — for light
  22. leaves — to go away
  23. pound — for dogs
  24. drill — the tool

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