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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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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: bound · lash · bulb · scale · staff · date · land · branch

  1. The light ________________ burned out.
  2. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  3. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  4. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  5. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  6. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  7. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  8. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  9. When are we going to ________________?
  10. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  11. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  12. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  13. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  14. That was ________________ to happen.
  15. I've got to change the light ________________.
  16. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  17. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  18. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  19. Have you settled on a ________________?
  20. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  21. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  22. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  23. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  24. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. scale — in music
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. lash — a whip stroke
  5. bound — obliged
  6. lash — an eyelash
  7. lash — to lash out
  8. bulb — of a plant
  9. land — to come down
  10. land — ground
  11. branch — of a bank
  12. date — the fruit
  13. branch — of a tree
  14. bound — certain
  15. bulb — for light
  16. staff — employees
  17. staff — employees
  18. staff — a stick
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. branch — a division
  21. bound — tied together
  22. land — a country
  23. scale — for weighing
  24. scale — size or range

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