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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 assure you, everything's ________________.
  2. The light ________________ burned out.
  3. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  4. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  5. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  6. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  7. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  8. How do you ________________ your surname?
  9. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  10. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  11. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  12. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  13. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  14. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  15. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  16. We're on a ________________ here.
  17. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  18. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  19. Don't do anything ________________.
  20. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  21. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  22. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  23. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  24. I've got to change the light ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — all right
  2. bulb — for light
  3. rash — a series
  4. bulb — of a plant
  5. rash — on the skin
  6. branch — of a bank
  7. spell — magic
  8. spell — letters
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. fine — high quality
  12. stick — to attach or keep to
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. roll — a list
  15. hide — animal skin
  16. roll — on a roll
  17. branch — a division
  18. fine — a penalty
  19. rash — hasty
  20. spell — a short time
  21. branch — of a tree
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. roll — a cake
  24. bulb — for light

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