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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. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  3. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  4. You don't need to ________________ round.
  5. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  6. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  7. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  10. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  11. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  12. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  13. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  14. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  15. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  16. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  17. I've got to change the light ________________.
  18. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  19. Did you ________________ the meat?
  20. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  21. We're almost out of ________________.
  22. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  23. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  24. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — of a plant
  2. pass — to spend time
  3. season — of the year
  4. pop — to visit
  5. chest — of your body
  6. season — in sport
  7. chip — for betting
  8. bulb — for light
  9. face — to confront
  10. chip — in a computer
  11. branch — of a tree
  12. chest — of your body
  13. branch — a division
  14. pop — music
  15. chip — to eat
  16. pass — a permit
  17. bulb — for light
  18. branch — of a bank
  19. season — to add flavour
  20. pass — to succeed
  21. pop — soda
  22. face — part of the head
  23. face — to point toward
  24. chest — a box

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