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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 116 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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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: tear · branch · pop · stand · bulb · deal · cold · bank

  1. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  2. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  5. We're almost out of ________________.
  6. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  7. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  8. I can't ________________ this cold.
  9. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  10. The light ________________ burned out.
  11. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  12. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  13. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  14. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  15. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  16. I've got to change the light ________________.
  17. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  18. The water is too ________________.
  19. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  20. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  21. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  22. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  23. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  24. You don't need to ________________ round.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — for spectators
  2. branch — of a tree
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. tear — from crying
  5. pop — soda
  6. cold — an illness
  7. tear — from crying
  8. stand — to bear
  9. deal — to handle
  10. bulb — for light
  11. stand — on your feet
  12. deal — a big deal
  13. branch — of a bank
  14. bank — for money
  15. pop — music
  16. bulb — for light
  17. tear — to rip
  18. cold — not warm
  19. branch — a division
  20. bank — for money
  21. bank — of a river
  22. deal — an agreement
  23. cold — the Cold War
  24. pop — to visit

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