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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're on a ________________ here.
  2. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  3. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  4. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  7. Did you ________________ the meat?
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  10. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  11. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  12. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  13. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  14. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  15. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  16. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  17. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  18. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  19. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  20. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  21. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  22. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  23. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  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. roll — on a roll
  2. bank — for money
  3. branch — of a bank
  4. roll — a list
  5. bulb — for light
  6. bulb — of a plant
  7. season — to add flavour
  8. bulb — for light
  9. lean — to rest against
  10. bass — the instrument
  11. prune — to trim
  12. lean — to bend
  13. roll — a cake
  14. season — in sport
  15. prune — the fruit
  16. prune — to trim
  17. bass — low music
  18. season — of the year
  19. bank — of a river
  20. bank — for money
  21. bass — the fish
  22. branch — a division
  23. lean — thin
  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