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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: track · toast · pit · branch · straw · plane · bulb · kick

  1. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  2. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  3. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  4. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  5. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  6. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  7. I've got to change the light ________________.
  8. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  9. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  10. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  11. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  12. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  13. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  14. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  15. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  16. The light ________________ burned out.
  17. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  18. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  19. The ________________ took off on time.
  20. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  21. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  22. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  23. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  24. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — the most admired
  2. branch — of a bank
  3. track — a path
  4. kick — in football
  5. pit — a hole
  6. straw — dry grass
  7. bulb — for light
  8. branch — a division
  9. toast — a drink to someone
  10. track — to keep track
  11. kick — a thrill
  12. branch — of a tree
  13. kick — with a leg
  14. straw — a straw man
  15. track — a song
  16. bulb — for light
  17. bulb — of a plant
  18. plane — a tool
  19. plane — an aircraft
  20. pit — a fruit stone
  21. straw — to clutch at straws
  22. plane — in geometry
  23. toast — bread
  24. pit — in a race

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