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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. The light ________________ burned out.
  2. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  3. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  4. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  5. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  6. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  7. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  8. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  9. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  12. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  13. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  14. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  15. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  16. Did you ________________ the button?
  17. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  18. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  19. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  20. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  21. The ________________ market has crashed.
  22. The ________________ went through the wall.
  23. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  24. ________________ games are popular in Germany.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. board — to get on
  3. leaves — of a tree
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. bore — to drill
  6. bore — to tire
  7. nail — on a finger
  8. branch — a division
  9. bulb — of a plant
  10. bulb — for light
  11. stock — goods
  12. branch — of a bank
  13. stock — a soup base
  14. leaves — to go away
  15. leaves — lets stay
  16. press — to push
  17. press — newspapers
  18. branch — of a tree
  19. board — a committee
  20. bore — gave birth
  21. stock — shares
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. press — a publisher
  24. board — a flat piece

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