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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 120 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: bank · bear · cold · bound · branch · fall · bulb · calf

  1. The light ________________ burned out.
  2. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  3. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  4. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  5. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  6. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  7. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  8. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  9. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  10. That was ________________ to happen.
  11. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  12. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  13. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  14. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  15. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  16. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  17. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  18. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  19. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  20. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  21. I've got to change the light ________________.
  22. The water is too ________________.
  23. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  24. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. bank — for money
  3. fall — to drop
  4. bound — obliged
  5. bank — of a river
  6. bear — the animal
  7. cold — an illness
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. bulb — of a plant
  10. bound — certain
  11. calf — of the leg
  12. bank — for money
  13. bear — to put up with
  14. branch — a division
  15. branch — of a bank
  16. bound — tied together
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. fall — the season
  19. cold — the Cold War
  20. bear — the animal
  21. bulb — for light
  22. cold — not warm
  23. fall — to drop
  24. branch — of a tree

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