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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. I've got to change the light ________________.
  2. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  3. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  4. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  5. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  6. That was ________________ to happen.
  7. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  8. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  9. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  10. Did you ________________ the meat?
  11. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  12. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  13. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  14. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  15. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  16. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  17. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  18. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  19. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  20. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  21. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  22. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  23. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  24. The light ________________ burned out.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. season — in sport
  3. lean — to rest against
  4. branch — a division
  5. cue — for pool
  6. bound — certain
  7. bulb — of a plant
  8. branch — of a tree
  9. bound — obliged
  10. season — to add flavour
  11. lean — to bend
  12. prune — the fruit
  13. rule — a law
  14. lean — thin
  15. branch — of a bank
  16. prune — to trim
  17. rule — government
  18. rule — to rule out
  19. season — of the year
  20. prune — to trim
  21. bound — tied together
  22. cue — a signal
  23. cue — a hint
  24. bulb — for light

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