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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: swing · court · branch · ruler · lash · bulb · stem · spell

  1. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  2. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  3. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  4. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  5. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  6. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  7. I've got to change the light ________________.
  8. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  9. The ball is in your ________________.
  10. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  11. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  12. How do you ________________ your surname?
  13. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  14. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  15. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  16. David sat on the ________________.
  17. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  18. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  19. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  20. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  21. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  22. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  23. The light ________________ burned out.
  24. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — of a plant
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. spell — a short time
  4. ruler — a monarch
  5. branch — a division
  6. branch — of a bank
  7. bulb — for light
  8. court — of law
  9. court — for sport
  10. stem — of a plant
  11. spell — magic
  12. spell — letters
  13. stem — to come from
  14. branch — of a tree
  15. lash — a whip stroke
  16. swing — to play on
  17. lash — an eyelash
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. swing — in golf
  20. lash — to lash out
  21. stem — a stem cell
  22. swing — music
  23. bulb — for light
  24. court — of a king

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