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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 116 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 · squash · lie · trunk · board · branch · straw · craft

  1. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  2. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  3. The light ________________ burned out.
  4. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  5. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  6. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  7. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  8. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  9. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  10. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  11. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  12. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  13. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  14. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  15. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  16. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  17. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  18. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  19. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  20. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  21. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  22. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  23. I've got to change the light ________________.
  24. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — of a plant
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. bulb — for light
  4. board — to get on
  5. squash — the sport
  6. trunk — of a tree
  7. trunk — of a car
  8. branch — of a bank
  9. straw — dry grass
  10. craft — a skill
  11. board — a flat piece
  12. craft — boats
  13. trunk — of an elephant
  14. straw — a straw man
  15. squash — the vegetable
  16. branch — a division
  17. straw — to clutch at straws
  18. board — a committee
  19. squash — to crush
  20. craft — a handicraft
  21. branch — of a tree
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. bulb — for light
  24. lie — to recline

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