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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: bear · fine · leaves · branch · rush · bulb · wind · scale

  1. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  2. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  3. The light ________________ burned out.
  4. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  5. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  6. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  7. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  8. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  9. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  10. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  11. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  12. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  13. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  14. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  15. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  16. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  17. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  18. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  19. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  20. That must've been a ________________.
  21. I've got to change the light ________________.
  22. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  23. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  24. Biology is a ________________ of science.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. wind — moving air
  3. bulb — for light
  4. leaves — lets stay
  5. wind — to turn a key
  6. fine — high quality
  7. wind — moving air
  8. bulb — of a plant
  9. bear — the animal
  10. branch — of a bank
  11. branch — of a tree
  12. bear — to put up with
  13. rush — to hurry
  14. fine — all right
  15. fine — a penalty
  16. rush — hurry
  17. leaves — to go away
  18. scale — for weighing
  19. scale — in music
  20. rush — a thrill
  21. bulb — for light
  22. scale — size or range
  23. leaves — of a tree
  24. branch — a division

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