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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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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: bulb · branch · patient · lash · cap · bass · kick · perch

  1. I've got to change the light ________________.
  2. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  3. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  4. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  5. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  6. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  7. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  8. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  9. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  10. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  11. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  12. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  13. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  14. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  15. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  16. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  17. The light ________________ burned out.
  18. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  19. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  20. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  21. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  22. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  23. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  24. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. branch — of a tree
  3. patient — calm and waiting
  4. lash — an eyelash
  5. bass — low music
  6. lash — a whip stroke
  7. perch — the fish
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. bass — the instrument
  11. branch — of a bank
  12. cap — a hat
  13. kick — with a leg
  14. kick — a thrill
  15. bass — the fish
  16. cap — a lid
  17. bulb — for light
  18. cap — of ice
  19. kick — in football
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. lash — to lash out
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. branch — a division
  24. bulb — 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