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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 · band · hide · roll · bulb · calf · cue · march

  1. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  2. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  3. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  4. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  5. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  6. We're on a ________________ here.
  7. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  8. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  9. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  10. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  11. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  12. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  13. I've got to change the light ________________.
  14. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  15. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  16. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  17. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  18. The light ________________ burned out.
  19. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  20. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  21. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  22. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  23. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  24. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. band — a ring
  3. branch — of a tree
  4. band — a rubber band
  5. hide — animal skin
  6. roll — on a roll
  7. march — the month
  8. cue — a signal
  9. band — a music group
  10. cue — for pool
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. cue — a hint
  13. bulb — for light
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. bulb — of a plant
  16. roll — a cake
  17. march — music
  18. bulb — for light
  19. branch — of a bank
  20. branch — a division
  21. calf — of the leg
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. roll — a list

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