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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. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  2. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  3. The light ________________ burned out.
  4. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  5. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  6. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  7. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  8. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  9. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  10. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  11. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  12. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  13. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  14. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  15. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  16. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  17. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  18. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  19. He was locked up in a ________________.
  20. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  21. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  22. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  23. I've got to change the light ________________.
  24. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. lash — an eyelash
  3. bulb — for light
  4. branch — of a bank
  5. cell — in biology
  6. drill — army training
  7. drill — the tool
  8. cell — a phone
  9. face — to point toward
  10. lash — to lash out
  11. prune — the fruit
  12. branch — a division
  13. mine — an explosive
  14. face — to confront
  15. drill — a practice
  16. mine — for digging
  17. mine — belonging to me
  18. bulb — of a plant
  19. cell — in a prison
  20. prune — to trim
  21. branch — of a tree
  22. face — part of the head
  23. bulb — for light
  24. lash — a whip stroke

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