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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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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: spell · safe · mark · spring · branch · bulb · pass · trunk

  1. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  2. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  3. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  4. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  5. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  6. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  7. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  8. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  9. I've got to change the light ________________.
  10. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  11. How do you ________________ your surname?
  12. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  13. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  14. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  15. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  16. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  17. The light ________________ burned out.
  18. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  19. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  20. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  21. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  22. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  23. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  24. The elephant has a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — of water
  2. spring — a coil
  3. pass — to succeed
  4. bulb — of a plant
  5. trunk — of a tree
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. mark — to pay attention
  8. mark — a grade
  9. bulb — for light
  10. safe — a strongbox
  11. spell — letters
  12. mark — a trace
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. spring — the season
  15. trunk — of a car
  16. spell — magic
  17. bulb — for light
  18. pass — a permit
  19. pass — to spend time
  20. spell — a short time
  21. branch — of a tree
  22. branch — a division
  23. branch — of a bank
  24. trunk — of an elephant

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