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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 strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  2. The light ________________ burned out.
  3. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  4. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  5. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  6. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  7. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  8. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  9. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  10. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  11. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  12. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  13. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  14. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  15. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  16. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  17. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  18. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  19. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  20. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  21. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  22. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  23. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  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. wind — moving air
  2. bulb — for light
  3. branch — of a bank
  4. bulb — of a plant
  5. rule — to rule out
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. squash — the sport
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. rule — a law
  10. vault — an arched ceiling
  11. mouse — for a computer
  12. squash — to crush
  13. branch — a division
  14. wind — to turn a key
  15. wind — moving air
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. branch — of a tree
  18. vault — in gymnastics
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. vault — a safe
  21. rule — government
  22. racket — a loud noise
  23. squash — the vegetable
  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