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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've got to change the light ________________.
  2. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  3. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  4. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  5. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  6. The light ________________ burned out.
  7. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  8. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  9. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  10. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  11. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  12. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  13. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  14. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  15. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  16. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  17. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  18. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  19. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  20. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  21. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  22. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  23. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  24. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. spring — a coil
  4. net — after costs
  5. branch — of a bank
  6. bulb — for light
  7. toast — the most admired
  8. bulb — of a plant
  9. net — for catching
  10. lie — to recline
  11. branch — of a tree
  12. hide — animal skin
  13. toast — bread
  14. branch — a division
  15. net — in sport
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. spring — the season
  19. ruler — a monarch
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. toast — a drink to someone
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. spring — of water
  24. lie — an untruth

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