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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 116 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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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: stick · bank · spell · branch · bulb · kick · patient · ruler

  1. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  2. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  3. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  4. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  5. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  6. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  7. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  8. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  9. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  10. The light ________________ burned out.
  11. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  12. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  13. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  14. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  15. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  16. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  17. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  18. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  19. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  20. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  21. I've got to change the light ________________.
  22. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  23. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  24. How do you ________________ your surname?

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

Answer key

  1. kick — with a leg
  2. bank — for money
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. branch — of a tree
  5. bank — for money
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. ruler — a monarch
  8. patient — calm and waiting
  9. branch — of a bank
  10. bulb — for light
  11. spell — magic
  12. bank — of a river
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. kick — in football
  15. kick — a thrill
  16. stick — to attach or keep to
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. branch — a division
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. bulb — of a plant
  21. bulb — for light
  22. spell — a short time
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. spell — letters

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