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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. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  2. The light ________________ burned out.
  3. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  4. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  5. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  6. I've got to change the light ________________.
  7. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  8. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  9. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  10. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  11. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  12. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  13. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  14. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  15. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  16. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  17. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  18. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  19. How do you ________________ your surname?
  20. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  21. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  22. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  23. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  24. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — to handle
  2. bulb — for light
  3. branch — of a bank
  4. spell — a short time
  5. band — a ring
  6. bulb — for light
  7. toast — a drink to someone
  8. spell — magic
  9. bulb — of a plant
  10. kick — with a leg
  11. deal — an agreement
  12. deal — a big deal
  13. row — to paddle
  14. toast — the most admired
  15. band — a music group
  16. row — a quarrel
  17. branch — a division
  18. band — a rubber band
  19. spell — letters
  20. kick — in football
  21. row — a line
  22. toast — bread
  23. kick — a thrill
  24. branch — of a tree

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