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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. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  2. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  3. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  4. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  7. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  8. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  9. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  10. The light ________________ burned out.
  11. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  12. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  13. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  14. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  15. Where did you ________________ them?
  16. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  17. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  18. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  19. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  20. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  21. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  22. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  23. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  24. How do you ________________ your surname?

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a cup
  2. field — farmland
  3. leaves — to go away
  4. field — a subject
  5. bulb — for light
  6. kick — in football
  7. leaves — lets stay
  8. spell — a short time
  9. mark — to pay attention
  10. bulb — for light
  11. mark — a trace
  12. kick — a thrill
  13. mug — a face
  14. field — for sport
  15. mug — to rob
  16. branch — a division
  17. bulb — of a plant
  18. leaves — of a tree
  19. kick — with a leg
  20. spell — magic
  21. branch — of a tree
  22. mark — a grade
  23. branch — of a bank
  24. spell — letters

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