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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: bass · tube · rush · stem · branch · bulb · rest · march

  1. The light ________________ burned out.
  2. I've got to change the light ________________.
  3. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  4. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  5. That must've been a ________________.
  6. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  7. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  8. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  9. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  10. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  11. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  12. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  13. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  14. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  15. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  16. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  17. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  18. I'll be taking the ________________.
  19. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  20. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  21. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  22. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  23. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  24. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. bulb — for light
  3. bass — low music
  4. rush — hurry
  5. rush — a thrill
  6. branch — of a bank
  7. rest — what's left
  8. rush — to hurry
  9. branch — of a tree
  10. rest — what's left
  11. stem — of a plant
  12. bass — the instrument
  13. bulb — of a plant
  14. march — music
  15. tube — in a tire
  16. march — the month
  17. stem — a stem cell
  18. tube — the underground
  19. march — the month
  20. tube — a container
  21. stem — to come from
  22. rest — a break
  23. branch — a division
  24. bass — the fish

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