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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. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  2. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  3. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  4. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  5. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  6. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  7. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  8. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  9. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  10. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  11. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  12. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  13. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  14. How do you ________________ your surname?
  15. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  16. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  17. I've got to change the light ________________.
  18. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  19. I can't ________________ this cold.
  20. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  21. We're on a ________________ here.
  22. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  23. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  24. The light ________________ burned out.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a tree
  2. can — a tin
  3. roll — a list
  4. can — to be able to
  5. racket — a loud noise
  6. clip — a video
  7. spell — a short time
  8. bulb — of a plant
  9. clip — to cut
  10. clip — for paper
  11. roll — a cake
  12. spell — magic
  13. stand — for spectators
  14. spell — letters
  15. branch — of a bank
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. bulb — for light
  18. branch — a division
  19. stand — to bear
  20. can — a tin
  21. roll — on a roll
  22. stand — on your feet
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. bulb — for light

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