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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. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  2. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  3. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  4. How do you ________________ your surname?
  5. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  6. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  7. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  8. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  9. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  10. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  11. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  12. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  13. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  14. Where did you ________________ them?
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  17. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  18. I've got to change the light ________________.
  19. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  20. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  21. My mare is ________________ in color.
  22. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  23. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  24. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a cup
  2. branch — of a bank
  3. wound — an injury
  4. spell — letters
  5. wound — past of 'wind'
  6. bulb — of a plant
  7. bat — the animal
  8. spell — magic
  9. mug — a face
  10. bear — the animal
  11. branch — a division
  12. branch — of a tree
  13. bay — to keep at bay
  14. mug — to rob
  15. bulb — for light
  16. bear — to put up with
  17. bat — for baseball
  18. bulb — for light
  19. bay — a part of the sea
  20. wound — an injury
  21. bay — a horse colour
  22. bat — in an idiom
  23. bear — the animal
  24. spell — a short time

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