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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. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  2. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  3. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  4. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  5. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  6. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  7. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  8. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  9. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  10. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  11. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  12. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  13. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  14. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  15. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  16. The light ________________ burned out.
  17. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  18. I've got to change the light ________________.
  19. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  20. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  21. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  22. It's one o'clock ________________.
  23. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  24. I assure you, everything's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — army training
  2. sharp — with an edge
  3. squash — to crush
  4. branch — a division
  5. wind — to turn a key
  6. fine — high quality
  7. branch — of a bank
  8. squash — the vegetable
  9. branch — of a tree
  10. dip — to sink
  11. sharp — clever
  12. bulb — of a plant
  13. squash — the sport
  14. wind — moving air
  15. dip — a sauce
  16. bulb — for light
  17. drill — a practice
  18. bulb — for light
  19. dip — to dunk
  20. wind — moving air
  21. fine — a penalty
  22. sharp — exactly
  23. drill — the tool
  24. fine — all right

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