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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. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  2. I've got to change the light ________________.
  3. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  4. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  5. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  6. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  7. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  8. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  9. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  10. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  11. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  12. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  13. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  14. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  17. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  18. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  19. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  20. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  21. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  22. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  23. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  24. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — a division
  2. bulb — for light
  3. bark — a dog's sound
  4. dip — a sauce
  5. branch — of a tree
  6. lean — thin
  7. rock — a stone
  8. dip — to sink
  9. rock — music
  10. branch — of a bank
  11. lean — to rest against
  12. dip — to dunk
  13. net — in sport
  14. net — for catching
  15. bulb — for light
  16. bark — of a tree
  17. scale — in music
  18. lean — to bend
  19. bark — to shout
  20. rock — to move gently
  21. bulb — of a plant
  22. net — after costs
  23. scale — size or range
  24. scale — for weighing

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