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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 116 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 play ________________ in a jazz band.
  2. Have you met the new head ________________?
  3. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  4. He works in a ________________ mill.
  5. She's very handy with a ________________.
  6. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  7. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  8. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  9. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  10. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  11. What do you think of the new ________________?
  12. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  13. I've got to change the light ________________.
  14. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  15. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  16. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  17. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  18. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  19. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  20. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  21. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  22. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  23. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  24. The light ________________ burned out.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the instrument
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. kick — a thrill
  4. saw — the tool
  5. saw — the tool
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. kick — with a leg
  8. bear — to put up with
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. bulb — of a plant
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. bass — the fish
  13. bulb — for light
  14. bear — the animal
  15. bear — the animal
  16. coach — pulled by horses
  17. branch — a division
  18. bass — low music
  19. branch — of a tree
  20. cabinet — a cupboard
  21. branch — of a bank
  22. saw — past of 'see'
  23. kick — in football
  24. bulb — for light

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