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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. The light ________________ burned out.
  2. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  3. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  4. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  5. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  6. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  7. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  8. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  9. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  10. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  11. I've got to change the light ________________.
  12. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  13. The ________________ took off on time.
  14. What do you think of the new ________________?
  15. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  16. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  17. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  18. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  19. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  20. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  21. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  22. Have you settled on a ________________?
  23. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  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 — for light
  2. dip — a sauce
  3. straw — to clutch at straws
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. straw — a straw man
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. plane — in geometry
  8. branch — of a bank
  9. content — videos and posts
  10. branch — of a tree
  11. bulb — for light
  12. content — happy
  13. plane — an aircraft
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. straw — dry grass
  16. date — the fruit
  17. content — the amount
  18. dip — to dunk
  19. plane — a tool
  20. bulb — of a plant
  21. cabinet — a cupboard
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. dip — to sink
  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