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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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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. When are we going to ________________?
  2. What do you think of the new ________________?
  3. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  4. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  5. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  6. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  7. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  10. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  11. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  12. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  13. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  14. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  15. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  16. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  17. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  18. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  19. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  20. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  21. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  22. I've got to change the light ________________.
  23. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  24. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.

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

Answer key

  1. land — to come down
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. cabinet — a cupboard
  4. deal — an agreement
  5. deal — a big deal
  6. branch — of a tree
  7. wake — a trail
  8. bulb — for light
  9. wake — to stop sleeping
  10. land — a country
  11. bulb — of a plant
  12. branch — of a bank
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. branch — a division
  15. deal — to handle
  16. land — ground
  17. wake — before a funeral
  18. fall — to drop
  19. fall — the season
  20. calf — of the leg
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. bulb — for light
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. fall — to drop

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