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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 116 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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  2. The light ________________ burned out.
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. The ________________ took off on time.
  5. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  6. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  7. He works in a ________________ mill.
  8. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  9. I've got to change the light ________________.
  10. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  11. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  12. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  13. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  14. You don't need to ________________ round.
  15. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  16. We're almost out of ________________.
  17. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  18. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  19. She's very handy with a ________________.
  20. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  21. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  22. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  23. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  24. When are we going to ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a tree
  2. bulb — for light
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. plane — an aircraft
  5. trunk — of an elephant
  6. chip — to eat
  7. saw — the tool
  8. land — a country
  9. bulb — for light
  10. branch — of a bank
  11. chip — for betting
  12. plane — in geometry
  13. branch — a division
  14. pop — to visit
  15. trunk — of a tree
  16. pop — soda
  17. chip — in a computer
  18. pop — music
  19. saw — the tool
  20. land — ground
  21. trunk — of a car
  22. plane — a tool
  23. saw — past of 'see'
  24. land — to come down

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