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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. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  2. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  3. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  4. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  5. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  6. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  7. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  8. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  9. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  10. False peace will not ________________.
  11. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  12. It's one o'clock ________________.
  13. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  14. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  15. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  16. The light ________________ burned out.
  17. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  18. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  19. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  20. I've got to change the light ________________.
  21. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  22. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  23. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  24. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — of a plant
  2. branch — of a bank
  3. chest — of your body
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. fall — to drop
  6. fall — the season
  7. sharp — clever
  8. chest — of your body
  9. last — finally
  10. last — to go on
  11. fork — to eat with
  12. sharp — exactly
  13. branch — a division
  14. chest — a box
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. bulb — for light
  17. fork — in a road
  18. last — final
  19. fork — a garden tool
  20. bulb — for light
  21. branch — of a tree
  22. sharp — with an edge
  23. safe — a strongbox
  24. fall — to drop

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