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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. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  2. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  5. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  6. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  7. I've got to change the light ________________.
  8. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  9. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  10. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  11. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  12. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  13. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  14. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  17. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  18. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  19. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  20. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  21. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  22. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  23. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  24. Biology is a ________________ of science.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — bread
  2. fork — in a road
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. toast — the most admired
  5. snap — to speak sharply
  6. net — in sport
  7. bulb — for light
  8. toast — a drink to someone
  9. hide — animal skin
  10. branch — of a tree
  11. rule — to rule out
  12. rule — government
  13. rule — a law
  14. net — after costs
  15. bulb — for light
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. fork — a garden tool
  18. snap — to click
  19. net — for catching
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. fork — to eat with
  22. snap — to snap out of it
  23. branch — of a bank
  24. branch — a division

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