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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 ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  2. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  3. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  4. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  5. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  6. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  7. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  8. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  9. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  10. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  11. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  12. The light ________________ burned out.
  13. The ________________ went through the wall.
  14. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  15. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  16. The ________________ took off on time.
  17. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  18. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  19. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  20. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  21. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  22. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  23. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  24. I've got to change the light ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — for baseball
  2. bulb — of a plant
  3. mine — for digging
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. stick — to attach or keep to
  6. bat — in an idiom
  7. branch — of a tree
  8. nail — on a finger
  9. plane — a tool
  10. bat — the animal
  11. branch — of a bank
  12. bulb — for light
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. mine — belonging to me
  15. branch — a division
  16. plane — an aircraft
  17. mine — an explosive
  18. staff — employees
  19. staff — employees
  20. plane — in geometry
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. staff — a stick
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. bulb — for light

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