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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. I've got to change the light ________________.
  2. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  3. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  6. That was ________________ to happen.
  7. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  8. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  9. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  10. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  11. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  12. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  13. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  14. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  15. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  16. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  17. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  18. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  19. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  20. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  21. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  22. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  23. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  24. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. bound — obliged
  3. face — part of the head
  4. bulb — for light
  5. branch — a division
  6. bound — certain
  7. wake — before a funeral
  8. branch — of a tree
  9. race — humankind
  10. wake — a trail
  11. bound — tied together
  12. race — a contest
  13. race — the arms race
  14. branch — of a bank
  15. bear — the animal
  16. trunk — of a tree
  17. trunk — of an elephant
  18. face — to point toward
  19. bulb — of a plant
  20. bear — to put up with
  21. bear — the animal
  22. face — to confront
  23. trunk — of a car
  24. wake — to stop sleeping

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