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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. I've got to change the light ________________.
  2. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  3. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  4. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  5. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  6. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  7. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  8. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  9. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  10. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  11. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  12. The light ________________ burned out.
  13. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  14. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  15. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  16. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  17. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  18. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  19. The ________________ market has crashed.
  20. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  21. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  22. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  23. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  24. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. shower — rain
  3. branch — of a bank
  4. branch — a division
  5. lash — to lash out
  6. march — the month
  7. shower — to wash
  8. shower — a meteor shower
  9. stock — goods
  10. lash — an eyelash
  11. lash — a whip stroke
  12. bulb — for light
  13. bulb — of a plant
  14. pass — a permit
  15. pass — to succeed
  16. stock — a soup base
  17. march — the month
  18. branch — of a tree
  19. stock — shares
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. march — music
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. pass — to spend time
  24. perch — the fish

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