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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 muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  2. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  3. The light ________________ burned out.
  4. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  5. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  6. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  7. When will it ________________ you to start?
  8. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  9. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  10. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  11. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  12. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  13. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  14. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  15. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  16. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  17. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  18. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  19. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  20. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  21. I've got to change the light ________________.
  22. Have you found your soul ________________?
  23. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  24. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a path
  2. branch — a division
  3. bulb — for light
  4. kid — child
  5. suit — clothes
  6. snap — to snap out of it
  7. suit — to fit
  8. bulb — of a plant
  9. dip — to sink
  10. snap — to click
  11. mate — a friend
  12. kid — to tease
  13. dip — a sauce
  14. dip — to dunk
  15. snap — to speak sharply
  16. suit — in cards
  17. branch — of a tree
  18. track — a song
  19. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  20. track — to keep track
  21. bulb — for light
  22. mate — a partner
  23. branch — of a bank
  24. mate — to breed

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