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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. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  2. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  3. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  4. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  5. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  6. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  7. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  8. He was locked up in a ________________.
  9. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  10. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  11. David sat on the ________________.
  12. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  13. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  14. The light ________________ burned out.
  15. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  16. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  17. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  18. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  19. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  20. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  21. I've got to change the light ________________.
  22. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  23. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  24. Don't do anything ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. leaves — of a tree
  3. swing — music
  4. deal — an agreement
  5. fall — the season
  6. swing — in golf
  7. cell — in biology
  8. cell — in a prison
  9. branch — of a bank
  10. cell — a phone
  11. swing — to play on
  12. branch — of a tree
  13. rash — a series
  14. bulb — for light
  15. deal — a big deal
  16. deal — to handle
  17. fall — to drop
  18. leaves — to go away
  19. leaves — lets stay
  20. branch — a division
  21. bulb — for light
  22. rash — on the skin
  23. bulb — of a plant
  24. rash — hasty

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