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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: pit · branch · bulb · straw · patient · rock · wound · game

  1. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  2. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  3. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  4. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  5. The light ________________ burned out.
  6. That was a fun ________________.
  7. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  8. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  9. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  10. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  11. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  12. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  13. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  14. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  15. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  16. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  17. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  18. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  19. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  20. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  21. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  22. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  23. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  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. branch — a division
  2. straw — a straw man
  3. wound — past of 'wind'
  4. bulb — of a plant
  5. bulb — for light
  6. game — a match
  7. straw — dry grass
  8. branch — of a bank
  9. pit — a fruit stone
  10. branch — of a tree
  11. pit — a hole
  12. wound — an injury
  13. rock — music
  14. rock — a stone
  15. straw — to clutch at straws
  16. rock — to move gently
  17. pit — in a race
  18. game — wild animals
  19. game — a kind of play
  20. patient — calm and waiting
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. wound — an injury
  23. patient — a sick person
  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