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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 don't want to ________________ the boat.
  2. The light ________________ burned out.
  3. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  4. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  5. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  6. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  7. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  8. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  9. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  10. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  11. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  12. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  13. Have you met the new head ________________?
  14. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  15. I've got to change the light ________________.
  16. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  17. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  18. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  19. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  20. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  21. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  22. The tickets are free of ________________.
  23. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  24. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — to move gently
  2. bulb — for light
  3. track — a song
  4. track — to keep track
  5. branch — a division
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. rock — music
  8. charge — in control
  9. wind — moving air
  10. wind — moving air
  11. lash — a whip stroke
  12. track — a path
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. coach — pulled by horses
  15. bulb — for light
  16. wind — to turn a key
  17. branch — of a tree
  18. lash — an eyelash
  19. charge — electricity
  20. lash — to lash out
  21. branch — of a bank
  22. charge — a price
  23. rock — a stone
  24. bulb — of a plant

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