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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. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  2. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  3. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  4. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  5. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  6. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  7. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  8. Did you ________________ the meat?
  9. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  10. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  11. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  12. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  13. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  14. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  15. False peace will not ________________.
  16. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  17. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  18. I've got to change the light ________________.
  19. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  20. That was ________________ to happen.
  21. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  22. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  23. The light ________________ burned out.
  24. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a bank
  2. bulb — of a plant
  3. pitch — a sales talk
  4. cap — of ice
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. branch — a division
  7. season — of the year
  8. season — to add flavour
  9. season — in sport
  10. bound — tied together
  11. branch — of a tree
  12. last — final
  13. pitch — a sports field
  14. pitch — completely
  15. last — to go on
  16. lie — to recline
  17. last — finally
  18. bulb — for light
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. bound — certain
  21. bound — obliged
  22. cap — a lid
  23. bulb — for light
  24. cap — a hat

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