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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. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  2. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  3. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  6. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  7. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  8. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  9. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  10. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  11. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  12. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  13. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  14. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  15. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  16. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  17. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  18. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  19. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  20. I've got to change the light ________________.
  21. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  22. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  23. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  24. Did you ________________ the button?

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a tree
  2. dip — to dunk
  3. vault — a safe
  4. bulb — for light
  5. drill — army training
  6. file — a document
  7. drill — the tool
  8. press — newspapers
  9. drill — a practice
  10. dip — a sauce
  11. bulb — of a plant
  12. branch — a division
  13. wound — past of 'wind'
  14. vault — in gymnastics
  15. file — a line of people
  16. vault — an arched ceiling
  17. file — a tool
  18. wound — an injury
  19. branch — of a bank
  20. bulb — for light
  21. dip — to sink
  22. press — a publisher
  23. wound — an injury
  24. press — to push

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