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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: row · branch · wake · season · object · cold · cap · bulb

  1. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  2. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  3. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  4. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  5. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  6. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  7. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  8. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  9. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  10. The water is too ________________.
  11. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  12. The light ________________ burned out.
  13. I've got to change the light ________________.
  14. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  15. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  16. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  17. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  18. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  19. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  20. Did you ________________ the meat?
  21. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  22. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  23. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  24. Spring is a pleasant ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a tree
  2. row — a line
  3. cap — a lid
  4. branch — of a bank
  5. cap — a hat
  6. wake — a trail
  7. cold — the Cold War
  8. cold — an illness
  9. wake — before a funeral
  10. cold — not warm
  11. branch — a division
  12. bulb — for light
  13. bulb — for light
  14. bulb — of a plant
  15. row — a quarrel
  16. object — an aim
  17. object — to protest
  18. cap — of ice
  19. row — to paddle
  20. season — to add flavour
  21. object — a thing
  22. wake — to stop sleeping
  23. season — in sport
  24. season — of the year

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