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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 kitten curled into a ________________.
  2. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  5. The light ________________ burned out.
  6. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  7. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  8. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  9. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  10. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  11. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  12. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  13. I've got to change the light ________________.
  14. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  15. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  16. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  17. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  18. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  19. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  20. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  21. The King held a masked ________________.
  22. How do you ________________ your surname?
  23. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  24. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a round shape
  2. branch — of a bank
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. mark — a trace
  5. bulb — for light
  6. leaves — of a tree
  7. ruler — a monarch
  8. leaves — to go away
  9. leaves — lets stay
  10. mark — to pay attention
  11. hand — help
  12. spell — a short time
  13. bulb — for light
  14. branch — of a tree
  15. ball — a great time
  16. hand — in cards
  17. mark — a grade
  18. hand — part of the body
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. branch — a division
  21. ball — a dance
  22. spell — letters
  23. spell — magic
  24. ruler — for measuring

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