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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 116 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. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  2. I've got to change the light ________________.
  3. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  4. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  5. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  6. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  7. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  8. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  9. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  10. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  11. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  12. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  13. The light ________________ burned out.
  14. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  15. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  16. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  17. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  18. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  19. It's one o'clock ________________.
  20. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  21. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  22. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  23. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  24. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. bulb — for light
  3. sharp — with an edge
  4. bulb — of a plant
  5. mark — a grade
  6. rest — what's left
  7. snap — to snap out of it
  8. scale — in music
  9. branch — of a tree
  10. snap — to click
  11. branch — a division
  12. branch — of a bank
  13. bulb — for light
  14. mark — a trace
  15. scale — for weighing
  16. bank — for money
  17. bank — for money
  18. bank — of a river
  19. sharp — exactly
  20. sharp — clever
  21. snap — to speak sharply
  22. mark — to pay attention
  23. rest — a break
  24. scale — size or range

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