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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: branch · bulb · spring · cell · craft · band · stem · bowl

  1. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  2. I've got to change the light ________________.
  3. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  4. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  5. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  6. He was locked up in a ________________.
  7. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  8. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  9. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  10. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  11. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  12. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  13. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  14. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  15. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  16. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  17. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  18. The light ________________ burned out.
  19. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  20. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  21. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  22. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  23. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  24. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a music group
  2. bulb — for light
  3. craft — a handicraft
  4. band — a rubber band
  5. bulb — of a plant
  6. cell — in a prison
  7. stem — of a plant
  8. stem — to come from
  9. branch — of a tree
  10. branch — a division
  11. stem — a stem cell
  12. bowl — to roll
  13. band — a ring
  14. spring — of water
  15. craft — boats
  16. branch — of a bank
  17. craft — a skill
  18. bulb — for light
  19. spring — the season
  20. cell — in biology
  21. bowl — a dish
  22. cell — a phone
  23. spring — a coil
  24. bowl — a football final

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