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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. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  2. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  3. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  4. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  5. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  6. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  7. The light ________________ burned out.
  8. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  9. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  10. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  11. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  12. I've got to change the light ________________.
  13. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  14. Where did you ________________ them?
  15. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  16. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  17. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  18. When was this ________________ built?
  19. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  20. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  21. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  22. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  23. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  24. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a grade
  2. wind — to turn a key
  3. branch — a division
  4. wound — an injury
  5. wound — past of 'wind'
  6. branch — of a bank
  7. bulb — for light
  8. mug — a cup
  9. wind — moving air
  10. wind — moving air
  11. branch — of a tree
  12. bulb — for light
  13. bowl — a dish
  14. mug — to rob
  15. bowl — a football final
  16. wound — an injury
  17. mark — a trace
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. mark — to pay attention
  20. temple — side of the head
  21. mug — a face
  22. bulb — of a plant
  23. bowl — to roll
  24. temple — a place of worship

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