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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. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  2. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  3. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  4. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  5. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  6. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  7. I've got to change the light ________________.
  8. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  9. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  10. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  11. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  12. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  13. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  14. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  15. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  16. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  17. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  18. Have you met the new head ________________?
  19. The ball is in your ________________.
  20. The light ________________ burned out.
  21. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  22. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  23. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  24. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a bank
  2. fan — to cool the air
  3. snap — to snap out of it
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. lean — to bend
  6. can — a tin
  7. bulb — for light
  8. can — a tin
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. snap — to click
  11. coach — pulled by horses
  12. branch — of a tree
  13. branch — a division
  14. can — to be able to
  15. bulb — of a plant
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. lean — to rest against
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. court — for sport
  20. bulb — for light
  21. snap — to speak sharply
  22. court — of law
  23. lean — thin
  24. court — of a king

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