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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. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  2. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  3. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  4. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  5. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  6. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  7. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. What do you think of the new ________________?
  10. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  11. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  12. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  13. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  14. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  15. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  16. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  17. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  18. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  19. I've got to change the light ________________.
  20. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  21. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  22. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  23. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  24. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — of a plant
  2. cabinet — a cupboard
  3. bank — for money
  4. racket — a loud noise
  5. staff — a stick
  6. chest — of your body
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. bulb — for light
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. shower — rain
  11. chest — of your body
  12. branch — of a tree
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. chest — a box
  15. bank — of a river
  16. staff — employees
  17. branch — a division
  18. shower — to wash
  19. bulb — for light
  20. bank — for money
  21. shower — a meteor shower
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. branch — of a bank
  24. staff — employees

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