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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 belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  2. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  3. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  4. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  5. I can't ________________ this cold.
  6. The light ________________ burned out.
  7. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  8. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  9. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  10. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  11. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  12. I've got to change the light ________________.
  13. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  14. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  15. That must've been a ________________.
  16. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  17. The tickets are free of ________________.
  18. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  19. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  20. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  21. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  22. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  23. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  24. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.

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

Answer key

  1. club — a group
  2. shower — rain
  3. rush — hurry
  4. branch — of a tree
  5. stand — to bear
  6. bulb — for light
  7. branch — a division
  8. rush — to hurry
  9. hand — part of the body
  10. stand — for spectators
  11. hand — help
  12. bulb — for light
  13. hand — in cards
  14. shower — a meteor shower
  15. rush — a thrill
  16. stand — on your feet
  17. charge — a price
  18. branch — of a bank
  19. club — for dancing
  20. charge — electricity
  21. bulb — of a plant
  22. shower — to wash
  23. club — for golf
  24. charge — in control

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