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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: spell · vault · straw · dip · deal · bulb · branch · bark

  1. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  2. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  3. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  4. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  5. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  6. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  7. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  8. How do you ________________ your surname?
  9. The light ________________ burned out.
  10. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  11. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  12. I've got to change the light ________________.
  13. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  14. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  15. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  16. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  17. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  18. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  19. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  20. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  21. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  22. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  23. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  24. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — of a plant
  2. dip — to sink
  3. deal — a big deal
  4. deal — to handle
  5. vault — a safe
  6. vault — in gymnastics
  7. bark — a dog's sound
  8. spell — letters
  9. bulb — for light
  10. straw — to clutch at straws
  11. straw — a straw man
  12. bulb — for light
  13. branch — of a bank
  14. spell — a short time
  15. bark — to shout
  16. dip — a sauce
  17. bark — of a tree
  18. vault — an arched ceiling
  19. straw — dry grass
  20. dip — to dunk
  21. branch — of a tree
  22. branch — a division
  23. spell — magic
  24. deal — an agreement

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