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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. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  2. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  3. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  4. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  5. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  6. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  7. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  8. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  9. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  10. That was ________________ to happen.
  11. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  12. I've got to change the light ________________.
  13. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  14. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  15. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  16. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  17. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  18. The light ________________ burned out.
  19. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  20. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  21. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  22. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  23. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  24. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — music
  2. branch — a division
  3. stick — to attach or keep to
  4. cap — of ice
  5. rock — to move gently
  6. rock — a stone
  7. cap — a lid
  8. wake — before a funeral
  9. cap — a hat
  10. bound — certain
  11. bound — tied together
  12. bulb — for light
  13. lash — a whip stroke
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. lash — an eyelash
  16. lash — to lash out
  17. branch — of a bank
  18. bulb — for light
  19. wake — to stop sleeping
  20. branch — of a tree
  21. bulb — of a plant
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. bound — obliged
  24. wake — a trail

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