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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.

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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: bulb · trunk · branch · bear · field · staff · dip · tube

  1. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  2. The light ________________ burned out.
  3. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  4. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  5. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  6. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  7. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  8. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  9. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  10. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  11. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  12. I've got to change the light ________________.
  13. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  14. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  15. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  16. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  17. I'll be taking the ________________.
  18. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  19. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  20. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  21. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  22. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  23. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  24. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — of a plant
  2. bulb — for light
  3. trunk — of a tree
  4. staff — employees
  5. branch — of a bank
  6. field — for sport
  7. trunk — of an elephant
  8. staff — employees
  9. bear — to put up with
  10. tube — in a tire
  11. trunk — of a car
  12. bulb — for light
  13. staff — a stick
  14. field — a subject
  15. bear — the animal
  16. tube — a container
  17. tube — the underground
  18. field — farmland
  19. dip — a sauce
  20. branch — a division
  21. bear — the animal
  22. branch — of a tree
  23. dip — to dunk
  24. dip — to sink

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