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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. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  3. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  4. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  7. It's one o'clock ________________.
  8. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  9. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  10. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  11. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  12. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  13. David sat on the ________________.
  14. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  15. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  16. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  17. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  18. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  19. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  20. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  21. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  22. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  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. bulb — for light
  2. deal — an agreement
  3. swing — in golf
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. bulb — for light
  6. hide — animal skin
  7. sharp — exactly
  8. club — a group
  9. swing — music
  10. drill — army training
  11. branch — of a tree
  12. club — for golf
  13. swing — to play on
  14. drill — the tool
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. sharp — with an edge
  17. sharp — clever
  18. deal — to handle
  19. club — for dancing
  20. drill — a practice
  21. deal — a big deal
  22. bulb — of a plant
  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