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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: mate · chair · spell · branch · sharp · leaves · bulb · cue

  1. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  2. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  3. The light ________________ burned out.
  4. I've got to change the light ________________.
  5. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  6. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  7. Have you found your soul ________________?
  8. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  9. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  10. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  11. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  12. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  13. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  14. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  15. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  16. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  17. How do you ________________ your surname?
  18. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  19. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  20. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  21. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  22. It's one o'clock ________________.
  23. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  24. This knife is not ________________ enough.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a friend
  2. bulb — of a plant
  3. bulb — for light
  4. bulb — for light
  5. cue — a hint
  6. sharp — clever
  7. mate — a partner
  8. chair — a professorship
  9. chair — to sit on
  10. spell — magic
  11. cue — for pool
  12. mate — to breed
  13. chair — a leader
  14. branch — a division
  15. leaves — to go away
  16. cue — a signal
  17. spell — letters
  18. leaves — of a tree
  19. branch — of a bank
  20. leaves — lets stay
  21. spell — a short time
  22. sharp — exactly
  23. branch — of a tree
  24. sharp — with an edge

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