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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. The light ________________ burned out.
  2. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  3. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  4. I've got to change the light ________________.
  5. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  6. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  7. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  8. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  9. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  10. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  11. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  12. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  13. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  14. The ball is in your ________________.
  15. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  16. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  17. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  18. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  19. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  20. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  21. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  22. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  23. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  24. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. bank — for money
  3. court — of law
  4. bulb — for light
  5. stem — to come from
  6. mine — for digging
  7. wave — a sudden rise
  8. branch — a division
  9. wave — of the sea
  10. bore — to tire
  11. bank — for money
  12. stem — of a plant
  13. branch — of a tree
  14. court — for sport
  15. wave — with your hand
  16. branch — of a bank
  17. stem — a stem cell
  18. court — of a king
  19. mine — belonging to me
  20. mine — an explosive
  21. bore — to drill
  22. bulb — of a plant
  23. bore — gave birth
  24. bank — of a river

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