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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: arm · bark · branch · bulb · tear · bass · leaves · roll

  1. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  2. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  3. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  4. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  5. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  6. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  7. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  8. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  9. I've got to change the light ________________.
  10. My father caught me by the ________________.
  11. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  12. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  13. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  14. We're on a ________________ here.
  15. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  16. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  17. The light ________________ burned out.
  18. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  19. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  20. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  21. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  22. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  23. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  24. Biology is a ________________ of science.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — to go away
  2. bark — to shout
  3. arm — a part of something
  4. bass — the instrument
  5. tear — to rip
  6. branch — of a bank
  7. bark — of a tree
  8. bulb — of a plant
  9. bulb — for light
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. bark — a dog's sound
  12. roll — a cake
  13. bass — the fish
  14. roll — on a roll
  15. leaves — lets stay
  16. leaves — of a tree
  17. bulb — for light
  18. branch — of a tree
  19. roll — a list
  20. tear — from crying
  21. tear — from crying
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. bass — low music
  24. branch — a division

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