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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.

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: bowl · spell · bulb · branch · present · patient · stick · cabinet

  1. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  2. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  3. The light ________________ burned out.
  4. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  5. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  6. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  7. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  8. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  9. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  10. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  11. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  12. How do you ________________ your surname?
  13. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  14. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  15. What do you think of the new ________________?
  16. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  17. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  18. I've got to change the light ________________.
  19. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  20. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  21. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  22. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  23. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  24. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. bulb — for light
  4. present — a gift
  5. bowl — a dish
  6. bowl — a football final
  7. cabinet — a cupboard
  8. present — there
  9. bowl — to roll
  10. spell — magic
  11. patient — calm and waiting
  12. spell — letters
  13. stick — to attach or keep to
  14. present — the time now
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. spell — a short time
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. bulb — for light
  19. bulb — of a plant
  20. branch — a division
  21. branch — of a bank
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. branch — of a tree
  24. patient — a sick person

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