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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: bulb · kid · racket · lie · branch · bark · bat · mug

  1. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  2. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  3. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  4. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. Where did you ________________ them?
  7. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  8. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  9. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  10. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  11. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  12. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  13. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  14. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  15. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  16. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  17. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  18. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  19. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  20. The light ________________ burned out.
  21. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  22. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  23. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  24. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — child
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. branch — of a bank
  4. bark — a dog's sound
  5. bulb — for light
  6. mug — to rob
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. bat — for baseball
  9. bulb — of a plant
  10. mug — a cup
  11. lie — to recline
  12. kid — to tease
  13. bat — in an idiom
  14. bark — to shout
  15. branch — a division
  16. bark — of a tree
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. mug — a face
  19. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  20. bulb — for light
  21. branch — of a tree
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. bat — the animal
  24. racket — a loud noise

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