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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. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  2. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  3. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  4. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  7. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  8. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  9. The light ________________ burned out.
  10. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  11. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  12. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  13. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  14. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  15. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  16. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  17. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  18. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  19. The King held a masked ________________.
  20. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  21. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  22. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  23. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  24. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — the animal
  2. craft — a handicraft
  3. branch — a division
  4. file — a document
  5. bulb — for light
  6. branch — of a bank
  7. bat — in an idiom
  8. file — a line of people
  9. bulb — for light
  10. file — a tool
  11. craft — a skill
  12. bulb — of a plant
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. pound — to hit hard
  15. ball — a great time
  16. branch — of a tree
  17. pound — for dogs
  18. ball — a round shape
  19. ball — a dance
  20. lie — to recline
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. bat — for baseball
  23. craft — boats
  24. pound — a weight

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