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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: spell · face · bear · branch · fine · ruler · bulb · bat

  1. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  2. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  3. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  4. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  5. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  6. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  7. I've got to change the light ________________.
  8. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  9. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  10. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  11. How do you ________________ your surname?
  12. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  13. The light ________________ burned out.
  14. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  15. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  16. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  17. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  18. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  19. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  20. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  21. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  22. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  23. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  24. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — a division
  2. fine — a penalty
  3. branch — of a bank
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. bear — the animal
  6. spell — a short time
  7. bulb — for light
  8. face — to point toward
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. face — to confront
  11. spell — letters
  12. bat — for baseball
  13. bulb — for light
  14. bear — to put up with
  15. face — part of the head
  16. bear — the animal
  17. bat — in an idiom
  18. spell — magic
  19. fine — high quality
  20. bat — the animal
  21. ruler — a monarch
  22. fine — all right
  23. bulb — of a plant
  24. branch — of a tree

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