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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. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  2. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  3. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  4. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  5. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  6. The light ________________ burned out.
  7. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  8. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  9. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  12. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  13. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  14. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  15. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  16. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  17. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  18. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  19. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  20. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  21. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  22. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  23. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  24. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. bulb — of a plant
  3. trunk — of an elephant
  4. band — a music group
  5. bank — for money
  6. bulb — for light
  7. squash — the sport
  8. branch — of a tree
  9. branch — a division
  10. bulb — for light
  11. trunk — of a tree
  12. cap — of ice
  13. trunk — of a car
  14. band — a ring
  15. cap — a hat
  16. bank — of a river
  17. branch — of a bank
  18. cap — a lid
  19. wave — of the sea
  20. squash — the vegetable
  21. band — a rubber band
  22. wave — a sudden rise
  23. squash — to crush
  24. wave — with your hand

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