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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'd like to play a game of ________________.
  2. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  3. Have you found your soul ________________?
  4. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  5. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  6. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  7. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  8. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  9. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  10. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  11. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  12. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  13. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  14. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  15. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  16. The light ________________ burned out.
  17. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  18. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  19. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  20. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  21. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  22. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  23. I've got to change the light ________________.
  24. The ________________ took off on time.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the sport
  2. bank — for money
  3. mate — a partner
  4. snap — to click
  5. bank — of a river
  6. mate — a friend
  7. bulb — of a plant
  8. scale — for weighing
  9. mate — to breed
  10. snap — to snap out of it
  11. scale — size or range
  12. snap — to speak sharply
  13. plane — in geometry
  14. branch — of a bank
  15. scale — in music
  16. bulb — for light
  17. squash — the vegetable
  18. branch — of a tree
  19. squash — to crush
  20. plane — a tool
  21. bank — for money
  22. branch — a division
  23. bulb — for light
  24. plane — an aircraft

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