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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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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: band · calf · pound · bulb · bound · cue · branch · last

  1. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  2. That was ________________ to happen.
  3. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  4. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  5. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  6. The light ________________ burned out.
  7. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  8. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  9. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  10. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  11. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  12. False peace will not ________________.
  13. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  14. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  15. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  16. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  17. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  18. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  19. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  20. I've got to change the light ________________.
  21. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  22. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  23. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  24. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a bank
  2. bound — certain
  3. band — a ring
  4. cue — a hint
  5. pound — to hit hard
  6. bulb — for light
  7. cue — for pool
  8. branch — a division
  9. pound — for dogs
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. calf — of the leg
  12. last — to go on
  13. bulb — of a plant
  14. band — a music group
  15. bound — tied together
  16. pound — a weight
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. cue — a signal
  19. last — finally
  20. bulb — for light
  21. bound — obliged
  22. band — a rubber band
  23. branch — of a tree
  24. last — final

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