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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. She's very handy with a ________________.
  2. I've got to change the light ________________.
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  5. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  6. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  7. The light ________________ burned out.
  8. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  9. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  10. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  11. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  12. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  13. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  14. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  15. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  16. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  17. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  18. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  19. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  20. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  21. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  22. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  23. He works in a ________________ mill.
  24. ________________ you help me carry this box?

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. bulb — for light
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. branch — of a bank
  5. branch — of a tree
  6. saw — past of 'see'
  7. bulb — for light
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. can — a tin
  10. branch — a division
  11. fork — in a road
  12. fork — to eat with
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. hide — animal skin
  17. patient — calm and waiting
  18. bore — gave birth
  19. bore — to tire
  20. bore — to drill
  21. can — a tin
  22. fork — a garden tool
  23. saw — the tool
  24. can — to be able to

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