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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 120 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.

Make a worksheet

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: game · wake · branch · bulb · cap · lie

  1. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  2. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  3. The light ________________ burned out.
  4. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  5. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  6. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  7. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  8. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  9. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  12. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  13. That was a fun ________________.
  14. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  15. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  16. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  17. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  18. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. branch — of a tree
  3. bulb — for light
  4. wake — before a funeral
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. branch — of a bank
  7. game — a kind of play
  8. lie — to recline
  9. game — wild animals
  10. bulb — for light
  11. wake — to stop sleeping
  12. cap — a lid
  13. game — a match
  14. cap — of ice
  15. wake — a trail
  16. bulb — of a plant
  17. branch — a division
  18. cap — a hat

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