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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: stand · club · sharp · branch · bear · spell · rest · bulb

  1. It's one o'clock ________________.
  2. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  3. I can't ________________ this cold.
  4. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  5. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  6. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  7. I've got to change the light ________________.
  8. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  9. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  10. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  11. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  12. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  13. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  14. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  15. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  16. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  17. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  18. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  19. How do you ________________ your surname?
  20. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  21. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  22. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  23. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  24. The light ________________ burned out.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — exactly
  2. bear — to put up with
  3. stand — to bear
  4. stand — on your feet
  5. sharp — with an edge
  6. branch — of a bank
  7. bulb — for light
  8. bear — the animal
  9. branch — of a tree
  10. club — a group
  11. rest — what's left
  12. rest — a break
  13. stand — for spectators
  14. club — for dancing
  15. spell — magic
  16. club — for golf
  17. sharp — clever
  18. branch — a division
  19. spell — letters
  20. rest — what's left
  21. bulb — of a plant
  22. spell — a short time
  23. bear — the animal
  24. bulb — for light

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