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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. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  2. I've got to change the light ________________.
  3. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  4. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  5. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  6. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  7. Where did you ________________ them?
  8. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  9. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  10. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  11. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  12. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  13. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  14. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  17. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  18. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  19. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  20. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  21. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  22. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  23. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  24. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a bank
  2. bulb — for light
  3. mug — a face
  4. bulb — of a plant
  5. board — a flat piece
  6. tear — from crying
  7. mug — to rob
  8. rule — to rule out
  9. tear — from crying
  10. club — a group
  11. snap — to snap out of it
  12. rule — a law
  13. mug — a cup
  14. rule — government
  15. bulb — for light
  16. branch — a division
  17. branch — of a tree
  18. club — for dancing
  19. snap — to speak sharply
  20. board — a committee
  21. tear — to rip
  22. club — for golf
  23. snap — to click
  24. board — to get on

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