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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: bass · branch · ball · wound · bulb · foot · lash · calf

  1. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  2. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  3. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  6. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  7. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  8. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  9. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  10. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  11. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  12. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  13. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  14. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  15. The King held a masked ________________.
  16. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  17. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  18. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  19. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  20. I've got to change the light ________________.
  21. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  22. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  23. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  24. He had ________________ pain while walking.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a bank
  2. wound — an injury
  3. wound — an injury
  4. bulb — for light
  5. wound — past of 'wind'
  6. lash — to lash out
  7. bass — low music
  8. bass — the fish
  9. lash — a whip stroke
  10. foot — part of the body
  11. ball — a round shape
  12. branch — of a tree
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. ball — a great time
  15. ball — a dance
  16. bass — the instrument
  17. foot — a measure
  18. foot — the bottom
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. bulb — for light
  21. bulb — of a plant
  22. branch — a division
  23. lash — an eyelash
  24. calf — of the leg

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