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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: chip · bark · saw · staff · bulb · branch · cold · object

  1. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  2. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  3. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. She's very handy with a ________________.
  6. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  7. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  8. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  9. He works in a ________________ mill.
  10. The water is too ________________.
  11. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  12. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  13. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  14. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  15. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  16. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  17. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  18. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  19. I've got to change the light ________________.
  20. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  21. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  22. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  23. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  24. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — a dog's sound
  2. bulb — of a plant
  3. object — to protest
  4. bulb — for light
  5. saw — the tool
  6. staff — employees
  7. chip — in a computer
  8. staff — a stick
  9. saw — the tool
  10. cold — not warm
  11. chip — for betting
  12. branch — of a tree
  13. object — an aim
  14. object — a thing
  15. cold — the Cold War
  16. saw — past of 'see'
  17. chip — to eat
  18. bark — to shout
  19. bulb — for light
  20. staff — employees
  21. branch — a division
  22. cold — an illness
  23. bark — of a tree
  24. branch — of a bank

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