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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: lean · bore · branch · bulb · calf · stem · bear · bay

  1. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  2. I've got to change the light ________________.
  3. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  4. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  5. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  6. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  7. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  8. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  9. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  10. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  11. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  12. My mare is ________________ in color.
  13. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  14. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  15. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  16. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  17. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  18. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  19. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  20. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  21. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  22. The light ________________ burned out.
  23. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  24. Many English words ________________ from Latin.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to bend
  2. bulb — for light
  3. lean — thin
  4. bulb — of a plant
  5. branch — of a tree
  6. bear — the animal
  7. bear — the animal
  8. branch — of a bank
  9. bay — a part of the sea
  10. lean — to rest against
  11. bay — to keep at bay
  12. bay — a horse colour
  13. calf — of the leg
  14. bore — to tire
  15. bear — to put up with
  16. bore — gave birth
  17. stem — a stem cell
  18. stem — of a plant
  19. bore — to drill
  20. branch — a division
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. bulb — for light
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. stem — to come from

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