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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: branch · hand · bulb · face · mouse · foot · degree · tube

  1. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  2. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  3. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  4. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  5. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  6. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  7. I've got to change the light ________________.
  8. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  9. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  10. I'll be taking the ________________.
  11. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  12. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  13. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  14. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  17. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  18. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  19. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  20. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  21. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  22. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  23. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  24. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. hand — part of the body
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. mouse — for a computer
  5. foot — the bottom
  6. foot — a measure
  7. bulb — for light
  8. tube — in a tire
  9. degree — an amount
  10. tube — the underground
  11. branch — of a tree
  12. branch — a division
  13. degree — temperature
  14. hand — help
  15. bulb — for light
  16. face — to point toward
  17. degree — from a university
  18. bulb — of a plant
  19. face — part of the head
  20. hand — in cards
  21. branch — of a bank
  22. tube — a container
  23. foot — part of the body
  24. face — to confront

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