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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: branch · plane · fan · bark · bay · band · bore · bulb

  1. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  2. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  3. My mare is ________________ in color.
  4. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  5. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  6. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  7. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  8. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  9. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  10. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  11. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  12. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  13. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  14. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  15. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  16. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  17. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  18. The ________________ took off on time.
  19. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  20. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  21. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  22. I've got to change the light ________________.
  23. The light ________________ burned out.
  24. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a music group
  2. band — a rubber band
  3. bay — a horse colour
  4. bore — to tire
  5. branch — a division
  6. plane — in geometry
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. bark — of a tree
  9. fan — to cool the air
  10. bay — a part of the sea
  11. bore — to drill
  12. bark — a dog's sound
  13. band — a ring
  14. bay — to keep at bay
  15. branch — of a tree
  16. plane — a tool
  17. bark — to shout
  18. plane — an aircraft
  19. bore — gave birth
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. branch — of a bank
  22. bulb — for light
  23. bulb — for light
  24. bulb — of a plant

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