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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. I've got to change the light ________________.
  2. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  3. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  4. Have you met the new head ________________?
  5. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  6. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  7. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  8. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  9. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  10. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  11. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  12. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  13. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  14. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  15. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  16. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  17. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  18. The light ________________ burned out.
  19. When was this ________________ built?
  20. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  21. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  22. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  23. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  24. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. branch — a division
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. branch — of a bank
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. branch — of a tree
  8. track — to keep track
  9. wound — an injury
  10. coach — pulled by horses
  11. wound — an injury
  12. temple — side of the head
  13. track — a path
  14. root — of a word
  15. bulb — of a plant
  16. root — of a plant
  17. bear — to put up with
  18. bulb — for light
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. bear — the animal
  21. wound — past of 'wind'
  22. bear — the animal
  23. root — the cause
  24. track — a song

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