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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 dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  2. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  3. The light ________________ burned out.
  4. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  5. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  6. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  7. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  8. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  9. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  10. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  11. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  12. I've got to change the light ________________.
  13. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  14. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  15. False peace will not ________________.
  16. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  17. Have you met the new head ________________?
  18. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  19. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  20. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  21. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  22. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  23. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  24. He's taking a ________________ right now.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — a meteor shower
  2. branch — a division
  3. bulb — for light
  4. bulb — of a plant
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. shower — rain
  7. lash — to lash out
  8. last — final
  9. coach — pulled by horses
  10. chip — for betting
  11. deal — to handle
  12. bulb — for light
  13. lash — an eyelash
  14. lash — a whip stroke
  15. last — to go on
  16. branch — of a tree
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. chip — in a computer
  19. chip — to eat
  20. deal — an agreement
  21. branch — of a bank
  22. last — finally
  23. deal — a big deal
  24. shower — to wash

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