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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. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  2. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  5. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  6. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  7. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  8. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  9. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  10. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  11. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  12. I've got to change the light ________________.
  13. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  14. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  15. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  16. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  17. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  18. That was a fun ________________.
  19. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  20. David sat on the ________________.
  21. The light ________________ burned out.
  22. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  23. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  24. Recycle the empty soda ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — a division
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. net — in sport
  5. swing — music
  6. branch — of a tree
  7. fan — to cool the air
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. net — after costs
  10. can — to be able to
  11. lie — to recline
  12. bulb — for light
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. branch — of a bank
  15. swing — in golf
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. net — for catching
  18. game — a match
  19. game — a kind of play
  20. swing — to play on
  21. bulb — for light
  22. game — wild animals
  23. can — a tin
  24. can — a tin

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