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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. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  2. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  3. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  4. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  7. Where did you ________________ them?
  8. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  9. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  10. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  11. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  12. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  13. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  14. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  15. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  16. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  17. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  18. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  19. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  20. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  21. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  22. The light ________________ burned out.
  23. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  24. Biology is a ________________ of science.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — of a plant
  2. capital — a city
  3. branch — of a bank
  4. mug — a cup
  5. bulb — for light
  6. wind — moving air
  7. mug — to rob
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. wind — moving air
  10. ruler — a monarch
  11. capital — money
  12. dip — a sauce
  13. wind — to turn a key
  14. capital — a big letter
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. object — an aim
  17. dip — to sink
  18. dip — to dunk
  19. mug — a face
  20. object — a thing
  21. branch — of a tree
  22. bulb — for light
  23. object — to protest
  24. branch — a division

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