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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: rock · net · branch · lie · bulb · band · rash · game

  1. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  2. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  3. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  4. That was a fun ________________.
  5. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  6. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  7. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  8. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  9. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  12. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  13. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  14. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  17. Don't do anything ________________.
  18. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  19. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  20. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  21. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  22. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  23. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  24. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. band — a ring
  2. rock — a stone
  3. rash — on the skin
  4. game — a match
  5. rock — to move gently
  6. lie — to recline
  7. branch — of a tree
  8. branch — of a bank
  9. band — a music group
  10. bulb — for light
  11. game — wild animals
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. band — a rubber band
  14. branch — a division
  15. bulb — for light
  16. rash — a series
  17. rash — hasty
  18. net — after costs
  19. rock — music
  20. net — in sport
  21. game — a kind of play
  22. net — for catching
  23. bulb — of a plant
  24. lie — an untruth

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