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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. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  2. I've got to change the light ________________.
  3. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  4. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  5. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  6. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  7. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  10. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  11. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  12. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  13. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  14. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  15. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  16. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  17. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  18. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  19. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  20. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  21. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  22. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  23. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  24. I got dealt a bad ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — to eat
  2. bulb — for light
  3. fall — to drop
  4. bulb — of a plant
  5. branch — of a bank
  6. drill — army training
  7. root — the cause
  8. bulb — for light
  9. root — of a plant
  10. chip — for betting
  11. ruler — a monarch
  12. root — of a word
  13. drill — a practice
  14. chip — in a computer
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. fall — to drop
  17. branch — a division
  18. hand — help
  19. branch — of a tree
  20. fall — the season
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. hand — part of the body
  23. drill — the tool
  24. hand — in cards

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