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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 120 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. We're almost out of ________________.
  2. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  3. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  6. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  7. I've got to change the light ________________.
  8. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  9. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  10. She's very handy with a ________________.
  11. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  12. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  13. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  14. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  15. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  16. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  17. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  18. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  19. You don't need to ________________ round.
  20. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  21. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  22. That was ________________ to happen.
  23. He works in a ________________ mill.
  24. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — soda
  2. bulb — of a plant
  3. wind — moving air
  4. bulb — for light
  5. dip — to dunk
  6. wind — to turn a key
  7. bulb — for light
  8. branch — of a bank
  9. pop — music
  10. saw — the tool
  11. branch — a division
  12. bound — obliged
  13. track — a path
  14. dip — a sauce
  15. bound — tied together
  16. wind — moving air
  17. saw — past of 'see'
  18. track — to keep track
  19. pop — to visit
  20. branch — of a tree
  21. track — a song
  22. bound — certain
  23. saw — the tool
  24. dip — to sink

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