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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. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  2. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  3. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  4. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  5. The light ________________ burned out.
  6. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  7. I've got to change the light ________________.
  8. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  9. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  10. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  11. She's very handy with a ________________.
  12. He works in a ________________ mill.
  13. Have you settled on a ________________?
  14. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  15. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  16. There's no middle ________________.
  17. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  18. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  19. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  20. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  21. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  22. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  23. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  24. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — in an idiom
  2. branch — of a tree
  3. bat — for baseball
  4. branch — a division
  5. bulb — for light
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. bulb — for light
  8. date — the fruit
  9. present — the time now
  10. branch — of a bank
  11. saw — the tool
  12. saw — the tool
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. lie — to recline
  16. ground — a position
  17. ground — crushed
  18. date — on the calendar
  19. ground — the earth
  20. present — a gift
  21. bulb — of a plant
  22. present — there
  23. saw — past of 'see'
  24. bat — the animal

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