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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. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  2. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  3. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  4. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  5. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  6. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  7. The light ________________ burned out.
  8. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  9. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  10. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  11. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  12. That must've been a ________________.
  13. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  14. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  15. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  16. I've got to change the light ________________.
  17. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  18. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  19. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  20. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  21. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  22. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  23. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  24. This looks like a gunshot ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — hurry
  2. bulb — of a plant
  3. firm — steady
  4. bank — for money
  5. can — a tin
  6. drill — the tool
  7. bulb — for light
  8. can — a tin
  9. wound — an injury
  10. bank — of a river
  11. branch — of a tree
  12. rush — a thrill
  13. firm — a company
  14. drill — a practice
  15. bank — for money
  16. bulb — for light
  17. branch — a division
  18. rush — to hurry
  19. can — to be able to
  20. branch — of a bank
  21. firm — decided
  22. wound — past of 'wind'
  23. drill — army training
  24. wound — an injury

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