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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: club · mate · wound · mark · bulb · cabinet · staff · branch

  1. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  2. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  3. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  4. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  5. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  6. Have you found your soul ________________?
  7. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  8. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  9. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  10. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  11. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  12. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  13. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  14. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  15. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  16. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  17. What do you think of the new ________________?
  18. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  19. The light ________________ burned out.
  20. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  21. I've got to change the light ________________.
  22. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  23. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  24. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?

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

Answer key

  1. staff — a stick
  2. mark — a grade
  3. branch — of a tree
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. wound — past of 'wind'
  6. mate — a partner
  7. mark — a trace
  8. staff — employees
  9. bulb — of a plant
  10. staff — employees
  11. club — for golf
  12. branch — a division
  13. wound — an injury
  14. mark — to pay attention
  15. wound — an injury
  16. mate — to breed
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. club — for dancing
  19. bulb — for light
  20. branch — of a bank
  21. bulb — for light
  22. cabinet — a cupboard
  23. club — a group
  24. mate — a friend

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