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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: bulb · fine · bore · staff · lie · branch · bark · wake

  1. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  2. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  3. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  4. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  5. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  6. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  7. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  8. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  9. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  12. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  13. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  14. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  15. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  16. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  17. The light ________________ burned out.
  18. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  19. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  20. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  21. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  22. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  23. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  24. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — a division
  2. fine — all right
  3. staff — a stick
  4. fine — high quality
  5. bore — gave birth
  6. wake — a trail
  7. bulb — of a plant
  8. bark — to shout
  9. wake — before a funeral
  10. bulb — for light
  11. bore — to tire
  12. staff — employees
  13. branch — of a bank
  14. fine — a penalty
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. lie — to recline
  17. bulb — for light
  18. branch — of a tree
  19. bark — of a tree
  20. bore — to drill
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. staff — employees
  23. wake — to stop sleeping
  24. bark — a dog's sound

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