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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. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  2. The light ________________ burned out.
  3. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  4. Have you found your soul ________________?
  5. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  6. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  7. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  8. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  9. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  10. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  11. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  12. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  13. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  14. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  15. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  16. I've got to change the light ________________.
  17. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  18. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  19. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  20. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  21. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  22. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  23. When was this ________________ built?
  24. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. bulb — for light
  3. leaves — lets stay
  4. mate — a partner
  5. straw — to clutch at straws
  6. branch — a division
  7. wax — for sculpting
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. branch — of a tree
  10. straw — a straw man
  11. wax — in the ear
  12. leaves — of a tree
  13. wax — to grow
  14. straw — dry grass
  15. fall — to drop
  16. bulb — for light
  17. fall — the season
  18. mate — to breed
  19. temple — side of the head
  20. bulb — of a plant
  21. leaves — to go away
  22. mate — a friend
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. branch — of a bank

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