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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. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  3. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  4. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  5. False peace will not ________________.
  6. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  7. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  8. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  9. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  10. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  11. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  12. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  13. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  14. I'll be taking the ________________.
  15. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  16. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  17. I've got to change the light ________________.
  18. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  19. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  20. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  21. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  22. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  23. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  24. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. bowl — to roll
  3. bowl — a football final
  4. firm — decided
  5. last — to go on
  6. branch — a division
  7. firm — steady
  8. bulb — of a plant
  9. squash — the sport
  10. bowl — a dish
  11. squash — the vegetable
  12. last — final
  13. tube — in a tire
  14. tube — the underground
  15. fall — to drop
  16. last — finally
  17. bulb — for light
  18. fall — the season
  19. firm — a company
  20. branch — of a bank
  21. tube — a container
  22. branch — of a tree
  23. squash — to crush
  24. fall — to drop

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