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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. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  2. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  3. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  4. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  5. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  6. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  7. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  10. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  11. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  12. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  13. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  14. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  15. There's no middle ________________.
  16. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  17. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  18. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  19. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  20. I've got to change the light ________________.
  21. False peace will not ________________.
  22. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  23. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  24. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a hole
  2. ground — the earth
  3. last — finally
  4. branch — of a bank
  5. branch — of a tree
  6. last — final
  7. patient — calm and waiting
  8. bulb — for light
  9. rock — music
  10. wound — an injury
  11. rock — to move gently
  12. branch — a division
  13. rock — a stone
  14. bulb — of a plant
  15. ground — a position
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. pit — a fruit stone
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. ground — crushed
  20. bulb — for light
  21. last — to go on
  22. pit — in a race
  23. wound — past of 'wind'
  24. wound — an injury

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