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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. We're on a ________________ here.
  2. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  3. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  6. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  7. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  8. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  9. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  12. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  13. Don't do anything ________________.
  14. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  15. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  16. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  17. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  18. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  19. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  20. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  21. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  22. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  23. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  24. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — on a roll
  2. lash — a whip stroke
  3. drill — a practice
  4. bulb — for light
  5. branch — a division
  6. rule — government
  7. lash — to lash out
  8. bulb — of a plant
  9. roll — a cake
  10. bulb — for light
  11. bank — of a river
  12. drill — the tool
  13. rash — hasty
  14. branch — of a tree
  15. drill — army training
  16. branch — of a bank
  17. rash — a series
  18. lash — an eyelash
  19. rule — a law
  20. roll — a list
  21. rule — to rule out
  22. rash — on the skin
  23. bank — for money
  24. bank — for money

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