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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: rock · stick · bulb · cap · rush · branch · bank · tube

  1. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  2. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  3. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  4. I'll be taking the ________________.
  5. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  6. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  7. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  8. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  9. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  10. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  11. That must've been a ________________.
  12. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  13. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  14. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  15. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  16. I've got to change the light ________________.
  17. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  18. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  19. The light ________________ burned out.
  20. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  21. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  22. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  23. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  24. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. tube — a container
  4. tube — the underground
  5. bank — for money
  6. rush — to hurry
  7. rock — music
  8. cap — of ice
  9. bank — of a river
  10. rock — a stone
  11. rush — a thrill
  12. tube — in a tire
  13. cap — a hat
  14. rock — to move gently
  15. bulb — of a plant
  16. bulb — for light
  17. branch — a division
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. bulb — for light
  20. branch — of a bank
  21. rush — hurry
  22. branch — of a tree
  23. cap — a lid
  24. stick — to attach or keep to

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