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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: hand · spring · march · branch · suit · craft · bulb · key

  1. This piece is in a major ________________.
  2. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  3. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  4. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  5. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  6. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  7. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  8. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  9. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  10. When will it ________________ you to start?
  11. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  12. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  13. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  14. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  15. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  16. I've got to change the light ________________.
  17. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  18. The light ________________ burned out.
  19. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  20. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  21. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  22. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  23. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  24. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.

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

Answer key

  1. key — in music
  2. bulb — of a plant
  3. suit — in cards
  4. march — the month
  5. craft — a handicraft
  6. craft — boats
  7. branch — of a tree
  8. hand — help
  9. march — the month
  10. suit — to fit
  11. spring — a coil
  12. hand — part of the body
  13. spring — the season
  14. spring — of water
  15. branch — a division
  16. bulb — for light
  17. key — the most important part
  18. bulb — for light
  19. hand — in cards
  20. craft — a skill
  21. key — for a lock
  22. suit — clothes
  23. branch — of a bank
  24. march — music

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