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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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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: band · drill · bass · lie · bulb · branch · tube · leaves

  1. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  2. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  3. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  4. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  5. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  6. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  7. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  8. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  9. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  10. The light ________________ burned out.
  11. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  12. I've got to change the light ________________.
  13. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  14. I'll be taking the ________________.
  15. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  16. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  17. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  18. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  19. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  20. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  21. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  22. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  23. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  24. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — to go away
  2. leaves — lets stay
  3. branch — a division
  4. branch — of a bank
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. tube — a container
  7. lie — to recline
  8. band — a rubber band
  9. branch — of a tree
  10. bulb — for light
  11. bass — the fish
  12. bulb — for light
  13. band — a ring
  14. tube — the underground
  15. tube — in a tire
  16. drill — the tool
  17. drill — army training
  18. band — a music group
  19. drill — a practice
  20. bass — low music
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. leaves — of a tree
  23. bass — the instrument
  24. bulb — of a plant

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