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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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468
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: calf · cold · stem · temple · branch · bass · toast · bulb

  1. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  2. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  3. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  4. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  5. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  6. The light ________________ burned out.
  7. When was this ________________ built?
  8. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  9. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  10. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  11. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  12. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  13. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  14. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  15. I've got to change the light ________________.
  16. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  17. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  18. The water is too ________________.
  19. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  20. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  21. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  22. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  23. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  24. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — to come from
  2. branch — of a bank
  3. toast — bread
  4. cold — the Cold War
  5. toast — the most admired
  6. bulb — for light
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. branch — a division
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. toast — a drink to someone
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. stem — a stem cell
  14. bass — the instrument
  15. bulb — for light
  16. bulb — of a plant
  17. stem — of a plant
  18. cold — not warm
  19. calf — of the leg
  20. branch — of a tree
  21. bass — low music
  22. cold — an illness
  23. temple — side of the head
  24. bass — the fish

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