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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: roll · bay · bulb · wound · sharp · bank · branch · straw

  1. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  2. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  3. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  4. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  5. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  6. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  7. It's one o'clock ________________.
  8. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  9. We're on a ________________ here.
  10. The light ________________ burned out.
  11. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  12. My mare is ________________ in color.
  13. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  14. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  15. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  16. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  17. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  18. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  19. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  20. I've got to change the light ________________.
  21. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  22. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  23. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  24. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — to keep at bay
  2. bulb — of a plant
  3. sharp — with an edge
  4. bank — for money
  5. bank — of a river
  6. branch — a division
  7. sharp — exactly
  8. roll — a list
  9. roll — on a roll
  10. bulb — for light
  11. branch — of a tree
  12. bay — a horse colour
  13. straw — a straw man
  14. wound — past of 'wind'
  15. sharp — clever
  16. straw — dry grass
  17. wound — an injury
  18. bank — for money
  19. branch — of a bank
  20. bulb — for light
  21. roll — a cake
  22. bay — a part of the sea
  23. straw — to clutch at straws
  24. wound — an injury

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