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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. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  2. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  3. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  4. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  5. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  6. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  7. How do you ________________ your surname?
  8. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  9. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  10. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  11. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  12. I've got to change the light ________________.
  13. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  14. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  15. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  16. The light ________________ burned out.
  17. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  18. What do you think of the new ________________?
  19. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  20. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  21. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  22. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  23. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  24. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — a stick
  2. branch — a division
  3. staff — employees
  4. track — to keep track
  5. branch — of a tree
  6. field — a subject
  7. spell — letters
  8. branch — of a bank
  9. track — a path
  10. staff — employees
  11. spell — a short time
  12. bulb — for light
  13. bulb — of a plant
  14. lash — a whip stroke
  15. field — for sport
  16. bulb — for light
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. lash — an eyelash
  20. field — farmland
  21. cabinet — a cupboard
  22. lash — to lash out
  23. track — a song
  24. spell — magic

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