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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: fine · fall · rash · band · branch · rush · bulb · content

  1. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  2. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  3. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  4. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  7. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  8. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  9. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  12. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  13. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  14. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  15. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  16. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  17. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  18. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  19. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  20. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  21. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  22. Don't do anything ________________.
  23. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  24. The light ________________ burned out.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a music group
  2. fall — to drop
  3. band — a ring
  4. content — videos and posts
  5. bulb — for light
  6. rush — hurry
  7. branch — of a bank
  8. content — happy
  9. branch — of a tree
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. fine — a penalty
  12. band — a rubber band
  13. content — the amount
  14. fall — to drop
  15. branch — a division
  16. rush — to hurry
  17. rash — a series
  18. rash — on the skin
  19. bulb — of a plant
  20. fine — high quality
  21. fall — the season
  22. rash — hasty
  23. fine — all right
  24. bulb — for light

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