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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. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  2. How do you ________________ your surname?
  3. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  4. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  5. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  6. The light ________________ burned out.
  7. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  8. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  9. I can't ________________ this cold.
  10. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  11. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  12. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  13. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  14. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  15. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  16. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  17. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  18. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  19. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  20. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  21. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  22. I've got to change the light ________________.
  23. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  24. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — to attach or keep to
  2. spell — letters
  3. spell — magic
  4. bulb — of a plant
  5. capital — a city
  6. bulb — for light
  7. spell — a short time
  8. branch — of a tree
  9. stand — to bear
  10. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  11. capital — money
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. stand — for spectators
  14. present — there
  15. kid — to tease
  16. kid — child
  17. branch — a division
  18. capital — a big letter
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. present — a gift
  21. present — the time now
  22. bulb — for light
  23. stand — on your feet
  24. branch — of a bank

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