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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. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  2. I've got to change the light ________________.
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  5. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  6. He works in a ________________ mill.
  7. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  8. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  9. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  10. This piece is in a major ________________.
  11. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  12. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  13. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  14. Have you met the new head ________________?
  15. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  16. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  17. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  18. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  19. The light ________________ burned out.
  20. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  21. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  22. She's very handy with a ________________.
  23. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  24. We ________________ up on opposing sides.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. bulb — for light
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. lie — to recline
  5. wound — an injury
  6. saw — the tool
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. coach — pulled by horses
  9. saw — past of 'see'
  10. key — in music
  11. branch — a division
  12. object — to protest
  13. branch — of a tree
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. object — a thing
  17. key — the most important part
  18. key — for a lock
  19. bulb — for light
  20. branch — of a bank
  21. object — an aim
  22. saw — the tool
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. wound — past of 'wind'

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