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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: ground · branch · foot · bulb · board · saw · clip · spell

  1. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  2. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  3. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  6. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  7. I've got to change the light ________________.
  8. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  9. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  10. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  11. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  12. He works in a ________________ mill.
  13. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  14. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  15. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  16. How do you ________________ your surname?
  17. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  18. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  19. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  20. She's very handy with a ________________.
  21. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  22. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  23. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  24. There's no middle ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — a division
  2. branch — of a bank
  3. ground — the earth
  4. bulb — for light
  5. spell — a short time
  6. foot — a measure
  7. bulb — for light
  8. clip — for paper
  9. foot — the bottom
  10. board — to get on
  11. spell — magic
  12. saw — the tool
  13. foot — part of the body
  14. clip — to cut
  15. board — a flat piece
  16. spell — letters
  17. ground — crushed
  18. bulb — of a plant
  19. branch — of a tree
  20. saw — the tool
  21. board — a committee
  22. saw — past of 'see'
  23. clip — a video
  24. ground — a position

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