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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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Word bank
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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: lie · rock · plane · can · rest · cap · bulb · branch

  1. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  2. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  3. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  4. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  5. The light ________________ burned out.
  6. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  7. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  8. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  9. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  10. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  11. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  12. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  13. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  14. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  15. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  16. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  17. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  18. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  19. I've got to change the light ________________.
  20. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  21. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  22. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  23. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  24. The ________________ took off on time.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — music
  2. branch — of a bank
  3. branch — a division
  4. can — a tin
  5. bulb — for light
  6. cap — a lid
  7. lie — to recline
  8. rock — a stone
  9. bulb — of a plant
  10. branch — of a tree
  11. plane — a tool
  12. rest — what's left
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. plane — in geometry
  15. can — to be able to
  16. cap — a hat
  17. rest — a break
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. bulb — for light
  20. rest — what's left
  21. rock — to move gently
  22. cap — of ice
  23. can — a tin
  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