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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've got to change the light ________________.
  2. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  3. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  4. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  5. We're on a ________________ here.
  6. The light ________________ burned out.
  7. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  8. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  9. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  10. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  11. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  12. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  13. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  14. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  15. I'll be taking the ________________.
  16. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  17. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  18. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  19. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  20. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  21. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  22. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  23. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  24. We ________________ up on opposing sides.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. wound — an injury
  3. rest — what's left
  4. root — of a plant
  5. roll — on a roll
  6. bulb — for light
  7. branch — of a tree
  8. bulb — of a plant
  9. branch — a division
  10. wound — an injury
  11. branch — of a bank
  12. root — the cause
  13. chip — in a computer
  14. roll — a cake
  15. tube — the underground
  16. tube — in a tire
  17. roll — a list
  18. tube — a container
  19. root — of a word
  20. chip — to eat
  21. rest — what's left
  22. chip — for betting
  23. rest — a break
  24. wound — past of 'wind'

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