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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. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  2. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  5. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  6. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  7. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  8. The tickets are free of ________________.
  9. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  10. The light ________________ burned out.
  11. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  12. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  13. That was ________________ to happen.
  14. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  15. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  16. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  17. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  18. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  19. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  20. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  21. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  22. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  23. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  24. Where can I ________________ my mobile?

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — of a plant
  2. branch — of a bank
  3. bulb — for light
  4. branch — of a tree
  5. content — videos and posts
  6. content — the amount
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. charge — a price
  9. row — a line
  10. bulb — for light
  11. shower — a meteor shower
  12. shower — rain
  13. bound — certain
  14. row — a quarrel
  15. charge — in control
  16. content — happy
  17. row — to paddle
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. hide — animal skin
  20. bound — tied together
  21. shower — to wash
  22. branch — a division
  23. bound — obliged
  24. charge — electricity

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