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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. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  2. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  5. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  6. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  7. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  8. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  9. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  10. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  11. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  12. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  13. Did you ________________ the meat?
  14. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  15. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  16. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  17. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  18. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  19. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  20. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  21. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  22. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  23. The light ________________ burned out.
  24. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — of a plant
  2. degree — from a university
  3. bulb — for light
  4. season — in sport
  5. firm — steady
  6. lean — to rest against
  7. lean — thin
  8. safe — a strongbox
  9. branch — of a bank
  10. season — of the year
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. branch — a division
  13. season — to add flavour
  14. firm — a company
  15. degree — temperature
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. degree — an amount
  18. file — a document
  19. branch — of a tree
  20. lean — to bend
  21. firm — decided
  22. file — a tool
  23. bulb — for light
  24. file — a line of people

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