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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. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  3. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  4. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  5. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  6. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  7. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  8. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  9. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  10. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  11. The light ________________ burned out.
  12. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  13. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  14. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  15. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  16. Have you met the new head ________________?
  17. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  18. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  19. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  20. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  21. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  22. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  23. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  24. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. coach — pulled by horses
  3. branch — of a bank
  4. wake — to stop sleeping
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. branch — a division
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. current — of water
  9. wake — a trail
  10. mouse — for a computer
  11. bulb — for light
  12. bowl — a football final
  13. fall — the season
  14. fall — to drop
  15. current — electric
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. current — happening now
  18. bowl — to roll
  19. wake — before a funeral
  20. fall — to drop
  21. bulb — of a plant
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. branch — of a tree
  24. bowl — a dish

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