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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: pit · cabinet · straw · bulb · branch · band · saw · coach

  1. The light ________________ burned out.
  2. Have you met the new head ________________?
  3. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  4. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  5. He works in a ________________ mill.
  6. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  7. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  8. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  9. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  10. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  11. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  12. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  13. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  14. She's very handy with a ________________.
  15. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  16. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  17. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  18. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  19. What do you think of the new ________________?
  20. I've got to change the light ________________.
  21. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  22. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  23. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  24. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. pit — a hole
  4. bulb — of a plant
  5. saw — the tool
  6. branch — of a bank
  7. band — a music group
  8. straw — a straw man
  9. pit — a fruit stone
  10. saw — past of 'see'
  11. straw — dry grass
  12. cabinet — a cupboard
  13. straw — to clutch at straws
  14. saw — the tool
  15. band — a ring
  16. branch — of a tree
  17. coach — pulled by horses
  18. branch — a division
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. bulb — for light
  21. band — a rubber band
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. pit — in a race
  24. coach — a trainer

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