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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. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  2. That was ________________ to happen.
  3. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  4. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  5. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  6. I've got to change the light ________________.
  7. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  8. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  9. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  10. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  11. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  12. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  13. Don't do anything ________________.
  14. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  15. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  16. That must've been a ________________.
  17. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  18. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  19. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  20. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  21. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  22. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  23. The light ________________ burned out.
  24. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a tree
  2. bound — certain
  3. bound — obliged
  4. pound — for dogs
  5. rash — on the skin
  6. bulb — for light
  7. rush — hurry
  8. pound — to hit hard
  9. branch — of a bank
  10. object — an aim
  11. rush — to hurry
  12. bound — tied together
  13. rash — hasty
  14. rash — a series
  15. straw — to clutch at straws
  16. rush — a thrill
  17. bulb — of a plant
  18. object — a thing
  19. branch — a division
  20. pound — a weight
  21. straw — a straw man
  22. object — to protest
  23. bulb — for light
  24. straw — dry grass

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