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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: bulb · root · coach · mug · branch · bear · shower · hand

  1. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  2. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  5. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  6. The light ________________ burned out.
  7. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  8. Have you met the new head ________________?
  9. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  10. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  11. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  12. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  13. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  14. Where did you ________________ them?
  15. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  16. I've got to change the light ________________.
  17. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  18. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  19. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  20. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  21. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  22. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  23. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  24. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — rain
  2. mug — a cup
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. bear — to put up with
  5. coach — pulled by horses
  6. bulb — for light
  7. branch — of a bank
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. bear — the animal
  10. hand — in cards
  11. branch — a division
  12. root — of a word
  13. root — of a plant
  14. mug — to rob
  15. hand — help
  16. bulb — for light
  17. root — the cause
  18. shower — to wash
  19. branch — of a tree
  20. mug — a face
  21. bear — the animal
  22. shower — a meteor shower
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. hand — part of the body

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