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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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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: pop · key · stem · bulb · branch · lash · wake · bore

  1. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  2. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  3. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  4. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  5. You don't need to ________________ round.
  6. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  7. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  8. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  9. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  10. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  11. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  12. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  13. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  14. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  15. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  16. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  17. We're almost out of ________________.
  18. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  19. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  20. The light ________________ burned out.
  21. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  22. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  23. I've got to change the light ________________.
  24. This piece is in a major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — gave birth
  2. branch — of a tree
  3. lash — an eyelash
  4. lash — to lash out
  5. pop — to visit
  6. wake — to stop sleeping
  7. wake — a trail
  8. bulb — of a plant
  9. branch — a division
  10. key — the most important part
  11. pop — music
  12. stem — a stem cell
  13. bore — to tire
  14. bore — to drill
  15. stem — to come from
  16. branch — of a bank
  17. pop — soda
  18. stem — of a plant
  19. wake — before a funeral
  20. bulb — for light
  21. lash — a whip stroke
  22. key — for a lock
  23. bulb — for light
  24. key — in music

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