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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. The light ________________ burned out.
  2. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  3. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  4. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  5. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  6. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  7. Don't do anything ________________.
  8. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  9. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  10. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  11. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  12. I've got to change the light ________________.
  13. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  14. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  15. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  16. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  17. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  18. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  19. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  20. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  21. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  22. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  23. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  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. bulb — for light
  2. bulb — of a plant
  3. fan — to cool the air
  4. bore — to drill
  5. branch — of a bank
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. rash — hasty
  8. row — a quarrel
  9. mark — a trace
  10. bore — to tire
  11. row — to paddle
  12. bulb — for light
  13. rash — on the skin
  14. bank — for money
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. bore — gave birth
  17. branch — a division
  18. bank — of a river
  19. row — a line
  20. mark — to pay attention
  21. bank — for money
  22. mark — a grade
  23. rash — a series
  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