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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. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  2. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  3. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  4. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  5. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  6. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  7. How do you ________________ your surname?
  8. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  9. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  10. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  11. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  12. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  13. It's one o'clock ________________.
  14. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  15. Have you settled on a ________________?
  16. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  17. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  18. The light ________________ burned out.
  19. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  20. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  21. I've got to change the light ________________.
  22. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  23. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  24. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — clever
  2. branch — a division
  3. jam — a tight spot
  4. bulb — of a plant
  5. wave — a sudden rise
  6. wave — of the sea
  7. spell — letters
  8. jam — in traffic
  9. date — the fruit
  10. branch — of a bank
  11. spell — magic
  12. branch — of a tree
  13. sharp — exactly
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. spell — a short time
  17. wave — with your hand
  18. bulb — for light
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. jam — to spread on bread
  21. bulb — for light
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. sharp — with an edge
  24. lie — to recline

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