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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 120 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. The light ________________ burned out.
  2. She's very handy with a ________________.
  3. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  4. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  5. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  6. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  7. He works in a ________________ mill.
  8. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  9. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  10. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  11. I've got to change the light ________________.
  12. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  13. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  14. When was this ________________ built?
  15. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  16. How do you ________________ your surname?
  17. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  18. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  19. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  20. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  21. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  22. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  23. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  24. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. saw — the tool
  3. branch — a division
  4. vault — an arched ceiling
  5. root — of a plant
  6. saw — past of 'see'
  7. saw — the tool
  8. branch — of a tree
  9. spell — a short time
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. bulb — for light
  12. branch — of a bank
  13. vault — a safe
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. root — of a word
  16. spell — letters
  17. foot — a measure
  18. foot — part of the body
  19. foot — the bottom
  20. spell — magic
  21. temple — side of the head
  22. vault — in gymnastics
  23. bulb — of a plant
  24. root — the cause

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