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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: march · bank · calf · hand · prune · bay · bulb · staff

  1. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  2. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  3. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  4. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  5. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  6. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  7. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  8. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  9. I've got to change the light ________________.
  10. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  11. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  12. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  13. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  14. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  15. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  16. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  17. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  18. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  19. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  20. The light ________________ burned out.
  21. My mare is ________________ in color.
  22. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  23. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  24. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — of a plant
  2. march — the month
  3. bay — a part of the sea
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. hand — part of the body
  6. staff — employees
  7. prune — the fruit
  8. march — the month
  9. bulb — for light
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. staff — a stick
  12. hand — help
  13. calf — of the leg
  14. bank — for money
  15. prune — to trim
  16. staff — employees
  17. prune — to trim
  18. bank — of a river
  19. bay — to keep at bay
  20. bulb — for light
  21. bay — a horse colour
  22. bank — for money
  23. hand — in cards
  24. march — music

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