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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. We're almost out of ________________.
  2. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  3. Don't do anything ________________.
  4. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  5. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  6. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  7. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  8. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  9. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  10. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  11. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  12. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  13. The light ________________ burned out.
  14. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  15. He works in a ________________ mill.
  16. I've got to change the light ________________.
  17. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  18. The tickets are free of ________________.
  19. You don't need to ________________ round.
  20. She's very handy with a ________________.
  21. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  22. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  23. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  24. I seem to be developing a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — soda
  2. branch — a division
  3. rash — hasty
  4. branch — of a tree
  5. pass — a permit
  6. pass — to succeed
  7. spring — the season
  8. spring — of water
  9. charge — electricity
  10. pop — music
  11. charge — in control
  12. spring — a coil
  13. bulb — for light
  14. saw — past of 'see'
  15. saw — the tool
  16. bulb — for light
  17. bulb — of a plant
  18. charge — a price
  19. pop — to visit
  20. saw — the tool
  21. rash — a series
  22. pass — to spend time
  23. branch — of a bank
  24. rash — on the skin

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