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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.

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: board · branch · stand · bulb · tube · lash · date · wind

  1. I'll be taking the ________________.
  2. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  3. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  4. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  5. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  6. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  7. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  8. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  9. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  10. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  11. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  12. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  13. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  14. The light ________________ burned out.
  15. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  16. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  17. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  18. Have you settled on a ________________?
  19. I've got to change the light ________________.
  20. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  21. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  22. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  23. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  24. I can't ________________ this cold.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — the underground
  2. board — a committee
  3. branch — of a bank
  4. branch — a division
  5. lash — to lash out
  6. lash — an eyelash
  7. wind — to turn a key
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. lash — a whip stroke
  10. wind — moving air
  11. stand — on your feet
  12. tube — a container
  13. board — to get on
  14. bulb — for light
  15. bulb — of a plant
  16. board — a flat piece
  17. branch — of a tree
  18. date — on the calendar
  19. bulb — for light
  20. wind — moving air
  21. date — the fruit
  22. stand — for spectators
  23. tube — in a tire
  24. stand — to bear

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