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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: bulb · saw · straw · branch · press · bear · nail · pitcher

  1. The light ________________ burned out.
  2. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  3. The ________________ went through the wall.
  4. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  5. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  6. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  7. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  8. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  9. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  10. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  11. He is an ace ________________.
  12. Did you ________________ the button?
  13. He works in a ________________ mill.
  14. She's very handy with a ________________.
  15. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  16. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  17. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  18. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  19. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  20. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  21. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  22. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  23. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  24. I've got to change the light ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. branch — of a bank
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. bear — the animal
  5. branch — a division
  6. press — newspapers
  7. bear — to put up with
  8. bulb — of a plant
  9. straw — to clutch at straws
  10. straw — dry grass
  11. pitcher — in baseball
  12. press — to push
  13. saw — the tool
  14. saw — the tool
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. branch — of a tree
  17. bear — the animal
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. saw — past of 'see'
  20. straw — a straw man
  21. press — a publisher
  22. nail — on a finger
  23. pitcher — a jug
  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