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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 · wave · rush · lean · mine · perch · pit · branch

  1. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  2. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  5. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  6. That must've been a ________________.
  7. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  8. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  9. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  10. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  11. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  12. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  13. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  14. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  15. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  16. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  17. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  18. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  19. The light ________________ burned out.
  20. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  21. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  22. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  23. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  24. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — to hurry
  2. mine — an explosive
  3. bulb — for light
  4. lean — to rest against
  5. pit — in a race
  6. rush — a thrill
  7. branch — of a tree
  8. lean — thin
  9. bulb — of a plant
  10. mine — belonging to me
  11. pit — a hole
  12. wave — a sudden rise
  13. branch — of a bank
  14. lean — to bend
  15. branch — a division
  16. rush — hurry
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. perch — the fish
  19. bulb — for light
  20. pit — a fruit stone
  21. wave — of the sea
  22. mine — for digging
  23. wave — with your hand
  24. perch — for a bird

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