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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.

Words on the sheet
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: branch · bulb · kick · wind · calf · press · hand · bark

  1. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  2. I've got to change the light ________________.
  3. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  4. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  5. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  6. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  7. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  8. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  9. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  10. The light ________________ burned out.
  11. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  12. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  13. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  14. Did you ________________ the button?
  15. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  16. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  17. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  18. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  19. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  20. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  21. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  22. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  23. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  24. Biology is a ________________ of science.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a bank
  2. bulb — for light
  3. kick — with a leg
  4. branch — of a tree
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. press — newspapers
  7. wind — moving air
  8. calf — of the leg
  9. hand — part of the body
  10. bulb — for light
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. wind — moving air
  13. kick — a thrill
  14. press — to push
  15. bark — a dog's sound
  16. hand — in cards
  17. bark — of a tree
  18. hand — help
  19. bulb — of a plant
  20. press — a publisher
  21. bark — to shout
  22. wind — to turn a key
  23. kick — in football
  24. branch — a division

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