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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 · straw · rush · face · lash · branch · foot · stem

  1. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  2. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  5. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  6. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  7. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  8. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  9. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  10. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  11. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  12. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  13. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  14. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  15. That must've been a ________________.
  16. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  17. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  18. The light ________________ burned out.
  19. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  20. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  21. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  22. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  23. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  24. The spa offers ________________ extensions.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — dry grass
  2. rush — hurry
  3. bulb — for light
  4. lash — a whip stroke
  5. stem — of a plant
  6. stem — a stem cell
  7. rush — to hurry
  8. straw — a straw man
  9. branch — of a bank
  10. branch — of a tree
  11. foot — part of the body
  12. face — to point toward
  13. foot — the bottom
  14. lash — to lash out
  15. rush — a thrill
  16. straw — to clutch at straws
  17. foot — a measure
  18. bulb — for light
  19. stem — to come from
  20. face — part of the head
  21. face — to confront
  22. bulb — of a plant
  23. branch — a division
  24. lash — an eyelash

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