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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: bulb · stick · leaves · temple · race · band · branch · bass

  1. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  2. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  3. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  4. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  5. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  6. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  7. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  8. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  9. When was this ________________ built?
  10. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  11. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  12. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  13. I've got to change the light ________________.
  14. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  17. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  18. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  19. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  20. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  21. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  22. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  23. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  24. I play ________________ in a jazz band.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — a division
  2. branch — of a bank
  3. band — a rubber band
  4. race — a contest
  5. race — the arms race
  6. band — a music group
  7. leaves — lets stay
  8. race — humankind
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. band — a ring
  11. bulb — of a plant
  12. temple — side of the head
  13. bulb — for light
  14. leaves — of a tree
  15. bulb — for light
  16. bass — the fish
  17. stick — to attach or keep to
  18. leaves — to go away
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. bass — low music
  21. branch — of a tree
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. bass — the instrument

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