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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: root · bound · branch · arm · chest · bulb · ball · stick

  1. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  2. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  3. The King held a masked ________________.
  4. I've got to change the light ________________.
  5. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  6. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  7. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  8. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  9. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  10. That was ________________ to happen.
  11. My father caught me by the ________________.
  12. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  13. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  14. The light ________________ burned out.
  15. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  16. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  17. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  18. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  19. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  20. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  21. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  22. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  23. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  24. We are ________________ to obey laws.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a word
  2. branch — a division
  3. ball — a dance
  4. bulb — for light
  5. chest — of your body
  6. chest — a box
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. branch — of a bank
  10. bound — certain
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. bound — tied together
  13. root — of a plant
  14. bulb — for light
  15. root — the cause
  16. ball — a round shape
  17. ball — a great time
  18. bulb — of a plant
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. branch — of a tree
  21. arm — a part of something
  22. stick — to attach or keep to
  23. chest — of your body
  24. bound — obliged

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