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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. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  2. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  3. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  6. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  7. That must've been a ________________.
  8. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  9. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  10. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  11. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  12. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  13. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  14. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  15. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  16. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  17. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  18. I've got to change the light ________________.
  19. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  20. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  21. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  22. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  23. How do you ________________ your surname?
  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. drill — the tool
  2. spell — magic
  3. track — to keep track
  4. bulb — for light
  5. branch — a division
  6. bulb — of a plant
  7. rush — a thrill
  8. firm — decided
  9. track — a path
  10. rush — hurry
  11. stem — to come from
  12. rush — to hurry
  13. drill — army training
  14. branch — of a tree
  15. firm — steady
  16. stem — of a plant
  17. stem — a stem cell
  18. bulb — for light
  19. track — a song
  20. firm — a company
  21. drill — a practice
  22. spell — a short time
  23. spell — letters
  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