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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 120 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 · branch · key · pass · craft · cap · lash · stick

  1. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  2. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  3. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. This piece is in a major ________________.
  6. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  7. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  8. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  9. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  10. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  11. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  12. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  13. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  14. I've got to change the light ________________.
  15. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  16. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  17. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  18. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  19. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  20. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  21. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  22. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  23. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  24. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a bank
  2. craft — a handicraft
  3. key — for a lock
  4. bulb — for light
  5. key — in music
  6. branch — a division
  7. lash — a whip stroke
  8. lash — to lash out
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. pass — to succeed
  11. stick — to attach or keep to
  12. cap — a hat
  13. key — the most important part
  14. bulb — for light
  15. cap — of ice
  16. cap — a lid
  17. pass — a permit
  18. branch — of a tree
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. pass — to spend time
  21. lash — an eyelash
  22. craft — boats
  23. craft — a skill
  24. bulb — of a plant

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