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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. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  2. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  3. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  4. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  5. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  6. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  7. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  8. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  9. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  10. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  11. I've got to change the light ________________.
  12. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  13. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  14. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  15. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  16. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  17. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  18. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  19. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  20. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  21. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  22. The light ________________ burned out.
  23. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  24. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. fall — to drop
  3. fall — the season
  4. can — to be able to
  5. band — a ring
  6. club — for dancing
  7. band — a music group
  8. bass — the fish
  9. leaves — to go away
  10. bass — low music
  11. bulb — for light
  12. club — a group
  13. branch — of a tree
  14. bass — the instrument
  15. bulb — of a plant
  16. club — for golf
  17. branch — a division
  18. band — a rubber band
  19. can — a tin
  20. branch — of a bank
  21. leaves — of a tree
  22. bulb — for light
  23. fall — to drop
  24. leaves — lets stay

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