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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: bulb · bay · bark · cue · lean · branch · toast · bowl

  1. The light ________________ burned out.
  2. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  3. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  4. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  5. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  6. My mare is ________________ in color.
  7. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  8. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  9. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  10. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  11. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  12. I've got to change the light ________________.
  13. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  14. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  15. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  16. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  17. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  18. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  19. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  20. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  21. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  22. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  23. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  24. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. bowl — a dish
  3. branch — a division
  4. toast — a drink to someone
  5. branch — of a tree
  6. bay — a horse colour
  7. bark — to shout
  8. bark — of a tree
  9. bark — a dog's sound
  10. cue — a hint
  11. lean — thin
  12. bulb — for light
  13. bulb — of a plant
  14. bowl — to roll
  15. branch — of a bank
  16. bowl — a football final
  17. cue — a signal
  18. cue — for pool
  19. bay — a part of the sea
  20. lean — to rest against
  21. toast — bread
  22. bay — to keep at bay
  23. lean — to bend
  24. toast — the most admired

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