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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 120 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
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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 · kick · mate · staff · lean · branch · plane · cold

  1. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  2. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  3. Have you found your soul ________________?
  4. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  5. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  6. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  7. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  8. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  9. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  10. The ________________ took off on time.
  11. The light ________________ burned out.
  12. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  13. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  14. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  15. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  16. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  17. The water is too ________________.
  18. I've got to change the light ________________.
  19. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  20. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  21. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  22. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  23. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  24. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a bank
  2. kick — with a leg
  3. mate — a partner
  4. kick — in football
  5. staff — employees
  6. cold — the Cold War
  7. lean — to bend
  8. branch — a division
  9. cold — an illness
  10. plane — an aircraft
  11. bulb — for light
  12. kick — a thrill
  13. branch — of a tree
  14. plane — a tool
  15. lean — to rest against
  16. staff — employees
  17. cold — not warm
  18. bulb — for light
  19. staff — a stick
  20. bulb — of a plant
  21. lean — thin
  22. mate — a friend
  23. plane — in geometry
  24. mate — to breed

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