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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. The light ________________ burned out.
  2. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  3. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  4. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  5. My mare is ________________ in color.
  6. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  7. False peace will not ________________.
  8. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  9. I've got to change the light ________________.
  10. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  11. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  12. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  13. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  14. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  15. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  16. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  17. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  18. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  19. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  20. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  21. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  22. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  23. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  24. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. branch — of a bank
  3. branch — a division
  4. cap — of ice
  5. bay — a horse colour
  6. bay — a part of the sea
  7. last — to go on
  8. cap — a hat
  9. bulb — for light
  10. hand — in cards
  11. cap — a lid
  12. fine — all right
  13. last — final
  14. chair — to sit on
  15. bay — to keep at bay
  16. chair — a professorship
  17. branch — of a tree
  18. fine — high quality
  19. hand — part of the body
  20. last — finally
  21. chair — a leader
  22. bulb — of a plant
  23. hand — help
  24. fine — a penalty

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