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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. The light ________________ burned out.
  2. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  3. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  4. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  5. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  6. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  7. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  8. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  9. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  10. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  11. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  12. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  13. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  14. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  15. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  16. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  17. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  18. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  19. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  20. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  21. I've got to change the light ________________.
  22. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  23. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  24. When are we going to ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. calf — of the leg
  3. rest — what's left
  4. branch — of a bank
  5. land — a country
  6. fall — the season
  7. branch — a division
  8. bulb — of a plant
  9. land — ground
  10. trunk — of a car
  11. rest — a break
  12. branch — of a tree
  13. trunk — of a tree
  14. trunk — of an elephant
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. fall — to drop
  19. fall — to drop
  20. safe — a strongbox
  21. bulb — for light
  22. rest — what's left
  23. safe — out of danger
  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