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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. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  2. What do you think of the new ________________?
  3. The light ________________ burned out.
  4. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  5. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  6. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  7. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  8. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  9. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  10. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  11. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  12. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  13. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  14. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  15. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  16. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  17. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  18. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  19. I've got to change the light ________________.
  20. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  21. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  22. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  23. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  24. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a tree
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. bulb — for light
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. hand — part of the body
  6. calf — of the leg
  7. fall — to drop
  8. hand — help
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. band — a rubber band
  11. band — a music group
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. prune — the fruit
  14. cabinet — a cupboard
  15. branch — a division
  16. branch — of a bank
  17. fall — to drop
  18. hand — in cards
  19. bulb — for light
  20. bulb — of a plant
  21. prune — to trim
  22. prune — to trim
  23. fall — the season
  24. band — a ring

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