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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 120 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: dip · spell · fan · stand · branch · cabinet · bulb · net

  1. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  2. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  3. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  6. I've got to change the light ________________.
  7. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  8. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  9. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  10. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  11. What do you think of the new ________________?
  12. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  13. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  14. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  15. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  16. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  17. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  18. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  19. I can't ________________ this cold.
  20. How do you ________________ your surname?
  21. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  22. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  23. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  24. Can you turn the ________________ on?

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

Answer key

  1. stand — for spectators
  2. spell — magic
  3. branch — of a tree
  4. bulb — for light
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. bulb — for light
  7. bulb — of a plant
  8. dip — a sauce
  9. dip — to dunk
  10. net — after costs
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. spell — a short time
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. cabinet — a cupboard
  15. net — for catching
  16. dip — to sink
  17. stand — on your feet
  18. branch — a division
  19. stand — to bear
  20. spell — letters
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. net — in sport
  23. branch — of a bank
  24. fan — to cool the air

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