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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. The light ________________ burned out.
  2. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  5. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  6. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  7. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  8. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  9. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  10. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  11. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  12. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  13. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  14. He was locked up in a ________________.
  15. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  16. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  17. The ________________ went through the wall.
  18. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  19. When was this ________________ built?
  20. Have you settled on a ________________?
  21. I've got to change the light ________________.
  22. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  23. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  24. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. branch — a division
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. fine — a penalty
  6. fine — all right
  7. fine — high quality
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. cell — a phone
  11. cell — in biology
  12. chair — a professorship
  13. date — the fruit
  14. cell — in a prison
  15. nail — on a finger
  16. branch — of a tree
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. temple — side of the head
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. bulb — for light
  22. chair — a leader
  23. chair — to sit on
  24. branch — of a bank

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