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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: bulb · branch · last · temple · stick · bay · root · bound

  1. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  2. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  3. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  4. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  5. That was ________________ to happen.
  6. False peace will not ________________.
  7. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  10. My mare is ________________ in color.
  11. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  12. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  13. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  14. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  15. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  16. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  17. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  18. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  19. When was this ________________ built?
  20. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  21. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  22. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  23. I've got to change the light ________________.
  24. We are ________________ to obey laws.

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

Answer key

  1. last — final
  2. branch — of a bank
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. bulb — of a plant
  5. bound — certain
  6. last — to go on
  7. bay — a part of the sea
  8. bulb — for light
  9. root — the cause
  10. bay — a horse colour
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. last — finally
  13. bound — tied together
  14. bay — to keep at bay
  15. branch — a division
  16. temple — side of the head
  17. branch — of a tree
  18. root — of a plant
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. root — of a word
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. stick — to attach or keep to
  23. bulb — for light
  24. bound — obliged

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