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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. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  2. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  3. This piece is in a major ________________.
  4. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  5. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  6. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  7. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  10. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  11. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  12. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  13. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  14. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  15. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  16. I've got to change the light ________________.
  17. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  18. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  19. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  20. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  21. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  22. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  23. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  24. The flowers bloom in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — of a plant
  2. branch — of a tree
  3. key — in music
  4. branch — of a bank
  5. key — the most important part
  6. fan — to cool the air
  7. fork — in a road
  8. bulb — for light
  9. stem — of a plant
  10. spring — a coil
  11. stem — to come from
  12. stem — a stem cell
  13. bark — to shout
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. key — for a lock
  16. bulb — for light
  17. fork — to eat with
  18. spring — of water
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. branch — a division
  21. fork — a garden tool
  22. bark — a dog's sound
  23. bark — of a tree
  24. spring — the season

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