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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. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  2. The light ________________ burned out.
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  5. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  6. You don't need to ________________ round.
  7. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  8. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  9. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  10. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  11. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  12. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  13. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  14. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  15. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  16. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  17. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  18. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  19. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  20. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  21. We're almost out of ________________.
  22. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  23. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  24. Have you settled on a ________________?

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. bulb — for light
  4. lash — a whip stroke
  5. lash — to lash out
  6. pop — to visit
  7. file — a tool
  8. vault — a safe
  9. cue — a signal
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. bulb — of a plant
  12. vault — an arched ceiling
  13. file — a line of people
  14. cue — a hint
  15. vault — in gymnastics
  16. cue — for pool
  17. pop — music
  18. file — a document
  19. date — the fruit
  20. branch — of a tree
  21. pop — soda
  22. branch — a division
  23. lash — an eyelash
  24. date — on the calendar

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