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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: file · bulb · spell · straw · ground · branch · coach · bank

  1. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  2. There's no middle ________________.
  3. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  4. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  5. The light ________________ burned out.
  6. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  7. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  8. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  9. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  12. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  13. How do you ________________ your surname?
  14. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  15. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  16. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  17. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  18. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  19. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  20. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  21. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  22. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  23. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  24. Have you met the new head ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. ground — the earth
  2. ground — a position
  3. branch — a division
  4. file — a document
  5. bulb — for light
  6. branch — of a tree
  7. spell — magic
  8. straw — a straw man
  9. file — a line of people
  10. bulb — for light
  11. spell — a short time
  12. ground — crushed
  13. spell — letters
  14. bulb — of a plant
  15. bank — of a river
  16. bank — for money
  17. straw — dry grass
  18. branch — of a bank
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. bank — for money
  21. straw — to clutch at straws
  22. file — a tool
  23. coach — pulled by horses
  24. coach — a trainer

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