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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 light ________________ burned out.
  2. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  3. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  4. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  5. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  6. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  7. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  8. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  9. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  10. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  11. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  12. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  13. I've got to change the light ________________.
  14. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  15. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  16. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  17. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  18. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  19. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  20. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  21. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  22. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  23. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  24. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. branch — of a tree
  3. branch — a division
  4. shower — to wash
  5. wound — an injury
  6. wound — an injury
  7. rock — music
  8. wound — past of 'wind'
  9. rock — to move gently
  10. shower — a meteor shower
  11. branch — of a bank
  12. bass — the instrument
  13. bulb — for light
  14. cue — for pool
  15. fork — to eat with
  16. cue — a hint
  17. cue — a signal
  18. shower — rain
  19. bass — low music
  20. rock — a stone
  21. bulb — of a plant
  22. fork — a garden tool
  23. fork — in a road
  24. bass — the fish

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