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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 120 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 little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  2. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  3. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  4. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  5. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  6. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  7. Did you ________________ the button?
  8. I've got to change the light ________________.
  9. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  10. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  11. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  12. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  13. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  14. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  15. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  16. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  17. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  18. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  19. The light ________________ burned out.
  20. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  21. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  22. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  23. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  24. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. leaves — to go away
  3. branch — of a tree
  4. leaves — lets stay
  5. bear — the animal
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. press — to push
  8. bulb — for light
  9. content — happy
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. bass — the instrument
  12. content — the amount
  13. bulb — of a plant
  14. leaves — of a tree
  15. branch — a division
  16. bear — to put up with
  17. content — videos and posts
  18. branch — of a bank
  19. bulb — for light
  20. perch — the fish
  21. bass — low music
  22. press — a publisher
  23. press — newspapers
  24. bass — the fish

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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