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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. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  2. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  3. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  4. That must've been a ________________.
  5. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  6. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  7. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  8. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  9. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  10. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  11. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  12. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  13. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  14. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  15. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  16. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  17. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  18. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  19. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  20. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  21. I've got to change the light ________________.
  22. The light ________________ burned out.
  23. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  24. The King held a masked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a round shape
  2. present — a gift
  3. ball — a great time
  4. rush — a thrill
  5. snap — to snap out of it
  6. fine — high quality
  7. stem — a stem cell
  8. branch — of a bank
  9. bulb — of a plant
  10. present — the time now
  11. fine — all right
  12. snap — to speak sharply
  13. stem — of a plant
  14. branch — of a tree
  15. rush — to hurry
  16. rush — hurry
  17. snap — to click
  18. stem — to come from
  19. branch — a division
  20. present — there
  21. bulb — for light
  22. bulb — for light
  23. fine — a penalty
  24. ball — a dance

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