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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. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  2. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  3. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  4. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  5. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  6. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  7. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  8. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  9. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  10. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  11. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  12. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  13. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  14. False peace will not ________________.
  15. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  16. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  17. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  18. The light ________________ burned out.
  19. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  20. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  21. I've got to change the light ________________.
  22. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  23. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  24. A ________________ is just a dried plum.

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

Answer key

  1. last — final
  2. branch — a division
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. prune — to trim
  5. bulb — of a plant
  6. branch — of a tree
  7. wave — a sudden rise
  8. wave — with your hand
  9. branch — of a bank
  10. hand — part of the body
  11. hand — help
  12. pit — in a race
  13. pit — a hole
  14. last — to go on
  15. pit — a fruit stone
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. last — finally
  18. bulb — for light
  19. wave — of the sea
  20. prune — to trim
  21. bulb — for light
  22. hand — in cards
  23. mouse — for a computer
  24. prune — the fruit

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