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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. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  2. The light ________________ burned out.
  3. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  4. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  5. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  6. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  7. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  8. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  9. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  10. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  11. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  12. I've got to change the light ________________.
  13. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  14. Did you ________________ the meat?
  15. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  16. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  17. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  18. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  19. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  20. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  21. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  22. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  23. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  24. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a bank
  2. bulb — for light
  3. fine — high quality
  4. shower — to wash
  5. branch — a division
  6. clip — to cut
  7. clip — for paper
  8. clip — a video
  9. bear — the animal
  10. fine — all right
  11. branch — of a tree
  12. bulb — for light
  13. bear — the animal
  14. season — to add flavour
  15. season — of the year
  16. band — a music group
  17. fine — a penalty
  18. bear — to put up with
  19. band — a ring
  20. season — in sport
  21. shower — a meteor shower
  22. bulb — of a plant
  23. shower — rain
  24. band — a rubber band

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