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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: branch · mouse · chest · tube · object · mug · cap · bulb

  1. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  2. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  3. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  4. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  5. Where did you ________________ them?
  6. The light ________________ burned out.
  7. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  8. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  9. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  10. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  11. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  12. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  13. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  14. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  15. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  16. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  17. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  18. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  19. I'll be taking the ________________.
  20. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  21. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  22. I've got to change the light ________________.
  23. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  24. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. chest — of your body
  3. mouse — for a computer
  4. mug — a cup
  5. mug — to rob
  6. bulb — for light
  7. object — a thing
  8. tube — a container
  9. mug — a face
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. branch — of a bank
  13. cap — of ice
  14. bulb — of a plant
  15. cap — a lid
  16. cap — a hat
  17. object — to protest
  18. tube — in a tire
  19. tube — the underground
  20. chest — a box
  21. branch — of a tree
  22. bulb — for light
  23. branch — a division
  24. object — an aim

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