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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. The light ________________ burned out.
  2. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  3. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  4. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  5. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  6. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  7. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  8. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  9. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  10. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  11. Did you ________________ the meat?
  12. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  13. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  14. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  15. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  16. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  17. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  18. I've got to change the light ________________.
  19. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  20. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  21. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  22. False peace will not ________________.
  23. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  24. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. present — the time now
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. staff — employees
  5. season — in sport
  6. branch — of a bank
  7. staff — a stick
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. present — there
  10. last — finally
  11. season — to add flavour
  12. kick — with a leg
  13. kick — in football
  14. staff — employees
  15. kick — a thrill
  16. branch — a division
  17. last — final
  18. bulb — for light
  19. fan — to cool the air
  20. bulb — of a plant
  21. season — of the year
  22. last — to go on
  23. branch — of a tree
  24. present — a gift

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