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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 120 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. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  2. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  5. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  6. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  7. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  8. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  9. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  10. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  11. How do you ________________ your surname?
  12. The light ________________ burned out.
  13. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  14. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  15. I've got to change the light ________________.
  16. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  17. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  18. I'll be taking the ________________.
  19. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  20. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  21. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  22. I can't ________________ this cold.
  23. That must've been a ________________.
  24. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to speak sharply
  2. net — for catching
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. snap — to snap out of it
  5. tube — in a tire
  6. spell — a short time
  7. rush — to hurry
  8. tube — a container
  9. branch — a division
  10. snap — to click
  11. spell — letters
  12. bulb — for light
  13. spell — magic
  14. stand — for spectators
  15. bulb — for light
  16. net — in sport
  17. rush — hurry
  18. tube — the underground
  19. branch — of a bank
  20. net — after costs
  21. stand — on your feet
  22. stand — to bear
  23. rush — a thrill
  24. branch — of a tree

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