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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. I've got to change the light ________________.
  2. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  3. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  4. Have you found your soul ________________?
  5. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  6. The light ________________ burned out.
  7. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  8. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  9. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  10. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  11. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  12. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  13. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  14. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  15. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  16. How do you ________________ your surname?
  17. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  18. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  19. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  20. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  21. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  22. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  23. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  24. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. mate — to breed
  3. branch — a division
  4. mate — a partner
  5. wake — a trail
  6. bulb — for light
  7. field — for sport
  8. dip — to sink
  9. dip — a sauce
  10. firm — steady
  11. firm — decided
  12. branch — of a tree
  13. wake — to stop sleeping
  14. mate — a friend
  15. field — a subject
  16. spell — letters
  17. branch — of a bank
  18. spell — magic
  19. dip — to dunk
  20. wake — before a funeral
  21. bulb — of a plant
  22. field — farmland
  23. spell — a short time
  24. firm — a company

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