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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: branch · fan · kid · bulb · lean · staff · net · bass

  1. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  2. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  3. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  4. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  5. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  6. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  7. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  8. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  9. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  10. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  11. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  12. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  13. The light ________________ burned out.
  14. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  15. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  16. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  17. I've got to change the light ________________.
  18. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  19. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  20. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  21. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  22. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  23. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  24. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — a stick
  2. kid — child
  3. net — for catching
  4. branch — of a bank
  5. lean — thin
  6. lean — to rest against
  7. net — after costs
  8. branch — a division
  9. staff — employees
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. bulb — for light
  14. bulb — of a plant
  15. bass — the instrument
  16. net — in sport
  17. bulb — for light
  18. fan — to cool the air
  19. lean — to bend
  20. bass — low music
  21. branch — of a tree
  22. kid — to tease
  23. bass — the fish
  24. staff — employees

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