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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 · hand · bulb · foot · roll · lie · race · tube

  1. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  2. The light ________________ burned out.
  3. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  4. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  5. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  6. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  7. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  8. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  9. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  10. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  11. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  12. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  13. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  14. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  15. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  16. We're on a ________________ here.
  17. I'll be taking the ________________.
  18. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  19. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  20. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  21. I've got to change the light ________________.
  22. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  23. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  24. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a list
  2. bulb — for light
  3. race — the arms race
  4. branch — of a bank
  5. hand — part of the body
  6. lie — to recline
  7. roll — a cake
  8. tube — in a tire
  9. foot — the bottom
  10. hand — in cards
  11. hand — help
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. foot — a measure
  14. bulb — of a plant
  15. branch — a division
  16. roll — on a roll
  17. tube — the underground
  18. branch — of a tree
  19. tube — a container
  20. foot — part of the body
  21. bulb — for light
  22. race — a contest
  23. race — humankind
  24. lie — an untruth

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