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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. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  2. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  5. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  6. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  7. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  8. It's one o'clock ________________.
  9. He is an ace ________________.
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  12. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  13. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  14. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  15. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  16. The light ________________ burned out.
  17. David sat on the ________________.
  18. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  19. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  20. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  21. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  22. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  23. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  24. Recycle the empty soda ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — to pay attention
  2. branch — a division
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. can — to be able to
  5. branch — of a tree
  6. mark — a grade
  7. sharp — with an edge
  8. sharp — exactly
  9. pitcher — in baseball
  10. bulb — for light
  11. snap — to click
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. sharp — clever
  14. swing — in golf
  15. swing — music
  16. bulb — for light
  17. swing — to play on
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. snap — to snap out of it
  20. mark — a trace
  21. can — a tin
  22. branch — of a bank
  23. snap — to speak sharply
  24. can — a tin

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