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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. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  2. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  3. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  4. I've got to change the light ________________.
  5. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  6. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  7. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  10. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  11. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  12. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  13. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  14. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  15. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  16. Did you ________________ the meat?
  17. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  18. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  19. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  20. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  21. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  22. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  23. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  24. Have you found your soul ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. branch — a division
  2. fork — in a road
  3. season — of the year
  4. bulb — for light
  5. mate — a friend
  6. cap — a lid
  7. mate — to breed
  8. bulb — for light
  9. branch — of a tree
  10. spring — a coil
  11. cap — of ice
  12. kid — to tease
  13. cap — a hat
  14. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  15. branch — of a bank
  16. season — to add flavour
  17. fork — a garden tool
  18. season — in sport
  19. kid — child
  20. spring — of water
  21. bulb — of a plant
  22. spring — the season
  23. fork — to eat with
  24. mate — a partner

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