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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.

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: branch · straw · rash · present · mug · bulb · pop · tube

  1. We're almost out of ________________.
  2. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  3. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  4. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  5. Where did you ________________ them?
  6. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  7. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  8. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  9. You don't need to ________________ round.
  10. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  11. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  12. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  13. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  14. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  15. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  16. I'll be taking the ________________.
  17. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  18. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  19. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  20. I've got to change the light ________________.
  21. Don't do anything ________________.
  22. The light ________________ burned out.
  23. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  24. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — soda
  2. rash — a series
  3. straw — to clutch at straws
  4. branch — of a tree
  5. mug — to rob
  6. present — there
  7. branch — of a bank
  8. present — the time now
  9. pop — to visit
  10. mug — a cup
  11. straw — a straw man
  12. tube — in a tire
  13. bulb — of a plant
  14. present — a gift
  15. branch — a division
  16. tube — the underground
  17. tube — a container
  18. mug — a face
  19. straw — dry grass
  20. bulb — for light
  21. rash — hasty
  22. bulb — for light
  23. rash — on the skin
  24. pop — music

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