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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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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: key · stem · bulb · branch · rest · wave · press · club

  1. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  2. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  3. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  4. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  5. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  6. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  7. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  8. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  9. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  10. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  11. This piece is in a major ________________.
  12. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  13. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  14. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  15. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  16. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  17. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  18. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  19. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  20. I've got to change the light ________________.
  21. The light ________________ burned out.
  22. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  23. Did you ________________ the button?
  24. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — with your hand
  2. rest — what's left
  3. key — for a lock
  4. branch — of a bank
  5. club — for dancing
  6. wave — of the sea
  7. branch — a division
  8. stem — a stem cell
  9. bulb — of a plant
  10. rest — a break
  11. key — in music
  12. press — a publisher
  13. rest — what's left
  14. branch — of a tree
  15. wave — a sudden rise
  16. club — for golf
  17. key — the most important part
  18. stem — to come from
  19. club — a group
  20. bulb — for light
  21. bulb — for light
  22. press — newspapers
  23. press — to push
  24. stem — of a plant

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