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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 always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  2. That must've been a ________________.
  3. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  4. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. Don't do anything ________________.
  7. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  8. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  9. Have you found your soul ________________?
  10. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  11. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  12. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  13. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  14. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  15. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  16. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  17. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  18. We're almost out of ________________.
  19. You don't need to ________________ round.
  20. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  21. The light ________________ burned out.
  22. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  23. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  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. leaves — lets stay
  2. rush — a thrill
  3. pop — music
  4. leaves — of a tree
  5. bulb — for light
  6. rash — hasty
  7. bulb — of a plant
  8. branch — a division
  9. mate — a partner
  10. mate — a friend
  11. degree — from a university
  12. degree — temperature
  13. degree — an amount
  14. rush — hurry
  15. mate — to breed
  16. branch — of a bank
  17. rash — a series
  18. pop — soda
  19. pop — to visit
  20. leaves — to go away
  21. bulb — for light
  22. branch — of a tree
  23. rush — to hurry
  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