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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. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  5. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  6. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  7. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  8. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  9. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  10. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  11. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  12. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  13. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  14. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  15. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  16. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  17. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  18. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  19. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  20. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  21. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  22. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  23. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  24. We're on a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. branch — a division
  3. bulb — for light
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. net — after costs
  6. lean — to bend
  7. cue — a hint
  8. roll — a cake
  9. branch — of a tree
  10. cue — for pool
  11. net — in sport
  12. lean — to rest against
  13. mine — an explosive
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. bulb — of a plant
  16. mine — for digging
  17. lean — thin
  18. roll — a list
  19. branch — of a bank
  20. mine — belonging to me
  21. net — for catching
  22. lie — to recline
  23. cue — a signal
  24. roll — on a roll

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