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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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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: spring · hand · pass · branch · plane · can · stick · bulb

  1. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  2. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  3. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  4. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  5. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  6. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  7. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  8. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  9. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  12. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  13. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  14. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  15. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  16. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  17. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  18. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  19. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  20. The ________________ took off on time.
  21. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  22. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  23. The light ________________ burned out.
  24. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to succeed
  2. bulb — of a plant
  3. branch — a division
  4. branch — of a bank
  5. plane — a tool
  6. can — to be able to
  7. hand — part of the body
  8. hand — help
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. bulb — for light
  11. pass — to spend time
  12. branch — of a tree
  13. spring — a coil
  14. can — a tin
  15. plane — in geometry
  16. can — a tin
  17. pass — a permit
  18. hand — in cards
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. plane — an aircraft
  21. spring — of water
  22. spring — the season
  23. bulb — for light
  24. stick — to attach or keep to

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