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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. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  2. The light ________________ burned out.
  3. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  4. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  5. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  6. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  7. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  8. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  9. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  10. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  11. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  12. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  13. When will it ________________ you to start?
  14. I've got to change the light ________________.
  15. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  16. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  17. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  18. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  19. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  20. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  21. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  22. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  23. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  24. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a bank
  2. bulb — for light
  3. band — a ring
  4. bulb — of a plant
  5. wound — past of 'wind'
  6. chip — in a computer
  7. suit — in cards
  8. wound — an injury
  9. chip — to eat
  10. chip — for betting
  11. bore — to tire
  12. snap — to snap out of it
  13. suit — to fit
  14. bulb — for light
  15. snap — to speak sharply
  16. band — a rubber band
  17. suit — clothes
  18. wound — an injury
  19. band — a music group
  20. branch — a division
  21. branch — of a tree
  22. snap — to click
  23. bore — to drill
  24. bore — gave birth

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