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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. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  3. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  4. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  5. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  6. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  7. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  8. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  9. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  10. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  11. He is an ace ________________.
  12. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  13. That was a fun ________________.
  14. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  17. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  18. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  19. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  20. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  21. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  22. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  23. Don't do anything ________________.
  24. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. game — wild animals
  3. rash — on the skin
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. lean — to rest against
  6. branch — of a tree
  7. lean — to bend
  8. chair — a leader
  9. snap — to speak sharply
  10. game — a kind of play
  11. pitcher — in baseball
  12. branch — of a bank
  13. game — a match
  14. chair — a professorship
  15. bulb — for light
  16. bulb — of a plant
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. chair — to sit on
  19. lean — thin
  20. rash — a series
  21. branch — a division
  22. snap — to snap out of it
  23. rash — hasty
  24. snap — to click

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