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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. That must've been a ________________.
  2. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  3. When was this ________________ built?
  4. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  5. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  6. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  7. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  8. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  9. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  10. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  11. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  12. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  13. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  14. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  15. I've got to change the light ________________.
  16. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  17. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  19. Don't do anything ________________.
  20. The light ________________ burned out.
  21. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  22. He is an ace ________________.
  23. I can't ________________ this cold.
  24. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — a thrill
  2. rush — to hurry
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. rash — on the skin
  7. branch — of a bank
  8. branch — of a tree
  9. rash — a series
  10. stick — to attach or keep to
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. stand — for spectators
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. temple — side of the head
  15. bulb — for light
  16. bulb — of a plant
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. rush — hurry
  19. rash — hasty
  20. bulb — for light
  21. branch — a division
  22. pitcher — in baseball
  23. stand — to bear
  24. stand — on your feet

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