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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.

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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: foot · roll · branch · bulb · bat · bear · wound · bowl

  1. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  2. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  3. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  4. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  5. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  6. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  7. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  8. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  9. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  10. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  11. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  12. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  13. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  14. We're on a ________________ here.
  15. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  16. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  17. The light ________________ burned out.
  18. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  19. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  20. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  21. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  22. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  23. I've got to change the light ________________.
  24. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a tree
  2. wound — past of 'wind'
  3. bear — to put up with
  4. foot — part of the body
  5. bat — in an idiom
  6. branch — a division
  7. branch — of a bank
  8. bulb — of a plant
  9. bear — the animal
  10. roll — a list
  11. foot — a measure
  12. wound — an injury
  13. wound — an injury
  14. roll — on a roll
  15. bat — for baseball
  16. bowl — to roll
  17. bulb — for light
  18. roll — a cake
  19. bat — the animal
  20. bear — the animal
  21. foot — the bottom
  22. bowl — a football final
  23. bulb — for light
  24. bowl — a dish

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