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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 were using a ________________ as a seat.
  2. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. Have you settled on a ________________?
  5. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  6. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  7. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  8. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  9. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  10. The light ________________ burned out.
  11. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  12. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  13. Have you met the new head ________________?
  14. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  15. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  16. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  17. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  18. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  19. Have you found your soul ________________?
  20. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  21. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  22. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  23. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  24. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — a stone
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. bulb — for light
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. wake — a trail
  6. rock — music
  7. date — the fruit
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. wake — before a funeral
  10. bulb — for light
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. rock — to move gently
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. lie — to recline
  15. branch — of a bank
  16. branch — of a tree
  17. wake — to stop sleeping
  18. bulb — of a plant
  19. mate — a partner
  20. branch — a division
  21. mate — a friend
  22. coach — pulled by horses
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. mate — to breed

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