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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. Where did you ________________ them?
  2. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  3. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  4. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  5. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  6. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  7. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  8. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  9. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  10. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  11. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  12. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  13. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  14. I've got to change the light ________________.
  15. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  16. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  17. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  18. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  19. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  20. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  21. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  22. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  23. The light ________________ burned out.
  24. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — to rob
  2. bat — the animal
  3. mug — a face
  4. kick — a thrill
  5. branch — a division
  6. bank — for money
  7. bat — for baseball
  8. bat — in an idiom
  9. craft — a skill
  10. march — music
  11. bank — of a river
  12. craft — boats
  13. branch — of a bank
  14. bulb — for light
  15. march — the month
  16. bank — for money
  17. mug — a cup
  18. kick — in football
  19. march — the month
  20. branch — of a tree
  21. kick — with a leg
  22. craft — a handicraft
  23. bulb — for light
  24. bulb — of a plant

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