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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. I've got to change the light ________________.
  2. We're almost out of ________________.
  3. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  4. You don't need to ________________ round.
  5. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  6. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  7. False peace will not ________________.
  8. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  9. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  10. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  11. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  12. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  13. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  14. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  15. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  16. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  17. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  18. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  19. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  20. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  21. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  22. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  23. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  24. The light ________________ burned out.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. pop — soda
  3. branch — of a tree
  4. pop — to visit
  5. bulb — of a plant
  6. can — to be able to
  7. last — to go on
  8. pop — music
  9. current — happening now
  10. last — finally
  11. last — final
  12. squash — the vegetable
  13. can — a tin
  14. snap — to speak sharply
  15. squash — to crush
  16. can — a tin
  17. current — electric
  18. branch — of a bank
  19. branch — a division
  20. current — of water
  21. snap — to snap out of it
  22. squash — the sport
  23. snap — to click
  24. bulb — for light

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