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

Word bank: branch · fall · bulb · firm · plane · season · kick · land

  1. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  2. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  5. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  6. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  7. The light ________________ burned out.
  8. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  9. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  10. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  11. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  12. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  13. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  14. When are we going to ________________?
  15. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  16. Did you ________________ the meat?
  17. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  18. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  19. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  20. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  21. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  22. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  23. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  24. The ________________ took off on time.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — of a plant
  2. firm — a company
  3. bulb — for light
  4. land — a country
  5. plane — in geometry
  6. branch — of a tree
  7. bulb — for light
  8. branch — a division
  9. land — ground
  10. firm — decided
  11. fall — to drop
  12. fall — to drop
  13. kick — with a leg
  14. land — to come down
  15. season — in sport
  16. season — to add flavour
  17. kick — a thrill
  18. kick — in football
  19. fall — the season
  20. firm — steady
  21. plane — a tool
  22. branch — of a bank
  23. season — of the year
  24. plane — an aircraft

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