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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: branch · temple · bulb · can · stick · band · lean · ground

  1. When was this ________________ built?
  2. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  3. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  4. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  5. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  6. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  7. The light ________________ burned out.
  8. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  9. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  10. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  11. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  12. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  13. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  14. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  15. I've got to change the light ________________.
  16. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  17. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  18. There's no middle ________________.
  19. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  20. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  21. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  22. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  23. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  24. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. can — a tin
  4. temple — side of the head
  5. ground — the earth
  6. branch — a division
  7. bulb — for light
  8. ground — crushed
  9. can — to be able to
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. bulb — of a plant
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. band — a ring
  14. band — a rubber band
  15. bulb — for light
  16. branch — of a bank
  17. branch — of a tree
  18. ground — a position
  19. stick — to attach or keep to
  20. lean — to rest against
  21. lean — to bend
  22. lean — thin
  23. can — a tin
  24. band — a music group

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