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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. I've got to change the light ________________.
  2. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  3. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  4. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  5. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  6. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  7. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  8. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  9. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  10. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  11. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  12. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  13. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  14. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  15. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  16. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  17. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  18. What do you think of the new ________________?
  19. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  20. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  21. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  22. The light ________________ burned out.
  23. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  24. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?

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 bank
  3. bore — to drill
  4. rule — to rule out
  5. mark — a grade
  6. kid — to tease
  7. bore — to tire
  8. mark — to pay attention
  9. rule — a law
  10. bore — gave birth
  11. rule — government
  12. branch — a division
  13. bulb — of a plant
  14. cap — a hat
  15. cabinet — a cupboard
  16. mark — a trace
  17. branch — of a tree
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. cap — of ice
  20. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  21. kid — child
  22. bulb — for light
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. cap — a lid

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