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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. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  2. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  3. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  4. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  5. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  6. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  7. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  10. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  11. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  12. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  13. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  14. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  15. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  16. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  17. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  18. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  19. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  20. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  21. I've got to change the light ________________.
  22. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  23. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  24. He is as ________________ as a wolf.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a hint
  2. bat — the animal
  3. lean — to rest against
  4. prune — to trim
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. bat — for baseball
  7. cue — a signal
  8. bulb — for light
  9. mouse — for a computer
  10. prune — to trim
  11. prune — the fruit
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. lean — to bend
  14. bat — in an idiom
  15. branch — of a bank
  16. lie — to recline
  17. branch — of a tree
  18. branch — a division
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. cue — for pool
  21. bulb — for light
  22. bulb — of a plant
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. lean — thin

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