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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: lash · stem · kick · branch · bowl · bore · shower · bulb

  1. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  2. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  3. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  4. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  5. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  6. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  7. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  8. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  9. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  10. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  11. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  12. The light ________________ burned out.
  13. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  14. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  15. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  16. I've got to change the light ________________.
  17. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  18. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  19. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  20. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  21. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  22. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  23. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  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. branch — of a bank
  2. branch — of a tree
  3. shower — rain
  4. stem — to come from
  5. lash — a whip stroke
  6. kick — in football
  7. kick — with a leg
  8. lash — an eyelash
  9. shower — a meteor shower
  10. bore — to tire
  11. bore — to drill
  12. bulb — for light
  13. bowl — to roll
  14. lash — to lash out
  15. kick — a thrill
  16. bulb — for light
  17. branch — a division
  18. bowl — a football final
  19. shower — to wash
  20. bowl — a dish
  21. bore — gave birth
  22. stem — a stem cell
  23. stem — of a plant
  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