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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. I've got to change the light ________________.
  2. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  3. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  4. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  5. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  6. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  7. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  8. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  9. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  10. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  11. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  12. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  13. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  14. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  15. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  16. He works in a ________________ mill.
  17. She's very handy with a ________________.
  18. The light ________________ burned out.
  19. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  20. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  21. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  22. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  23. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  24. He has no idea where the ________________ is.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. prune — to trim
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. calf — of the leg
  5. branch — of a tree
  6. prune — the fruit
  7. branch — of a bank
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. prune — to trim
  12. racket — a loud noise
  13. saw — past of 'see'
  14. bulb — of a plant
  15. bowl — a football final
  16. saw — the tool
  17. saw — the tool
  18. bulb — for light
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. branch — a division
  21. bowl — to roll
  22. bowl — a dish
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. safe — a strongbox

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