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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.

Words on the sheet
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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 · cap · lean · branch · bank · key · court · straw

  1. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  2. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  3. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  4. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  7. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  8. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  9. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  10. This piece is in a major ________________.
  11. The light ________________ burned out.
  12. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  13. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  14. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  15. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  16. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  17. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  18. The ball is in your ________________.
  19. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  20. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  21. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  22. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  23. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  24. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — of a plant
  2. straw — dry grass
  3. cap — a hat
  4. bank — for money
  5. bulb — for light
  6. branch — a division
  7. key — for a lock
  8. cap — of ice
  9. branch — of a bank
  10. key — in music
  11. bulb — for light
  12. bank — of a river
  13. cap — a lid
  14. key — the most important part
  15. lean — to rest against
  16. court — of law
  17. branch — of a tree
  18. court — for sport
  19. straw — to clutch at straws
  20. lean — to bend
  21. bank — for money
  22. lean — thin
  23. straw — a straw man
  24. court — of a king

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