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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 124 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 ________________ change colour in autumn.
  2. The light ________________ burned out.
  3. It's one o'clock ________________.
  4. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  5. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  6. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  7. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  8. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  9. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  12. The tickets are free of ________________.
  13. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  14. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  15. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  16. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  17. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  18. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  19. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  20. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  21. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  22. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  23. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  24. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — of a tree
  2. bulb — for light
  3. sharp — exactly
  4. sharp — with an edge
  5. wind — to turn a key
  6. branch — a division
  7. bulb — of a plant
  8. branch — of a bank
  9. wind — moving air
  10. bulb — for light
  11. leaves — lets stay
  12. charge — a price
  13. trunk — of a tree
  14. charge — in control
  15. trunk — of a car
  16. trunk — of an elephant
  17. branch — of a tree
  18. wind — moving air
  19. charge — electricity
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. sharp — clever
  22. leaves — to go away
  23. calf — of the leg
  24. calf — a young animal

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