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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. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  2. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  3. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  4. I've got to change the light ________________.
  5. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  6. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  7. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  8. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  9. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  10. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  11. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  12. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  13. That was ________________ to happen.
  14. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  15. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  16. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  17. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  18. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  19. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  20. The water is too ________________.
  21. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  22. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  23. The light ________________ burned out.
  24. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. cold — the Cold War
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. bulb — for light
  5. branch — of a bank
  6. perch — the fish
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. branch — of a tree
  9. stick — to attach or keep to
  10. fine — high quality
  11. branch — a division
  12. bound — tied together
  13. bound — certain
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. bulb — of a plant
  16. bound — obliged
  17. hide — animal skin
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. fine — a penalty
  20. cold — not warm
  21. cold — an illness
  22. fine — all right
  23. bulb — for light
  24. perch — for a bird

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