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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: bulb · cabinet · branch · tube · content · lash · rest · shower

  1. I've got to change the light ________________.
  2. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  3. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  4. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  5. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  6. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  7. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  10. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  11. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  12. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  13. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  14. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  15. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  16. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  17. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  18. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  19. I'll be taking the ________________.
  20. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  21. What do you think of the new ________________?
  22. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  23. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  24. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. tube — in a tire
  3. content — videos and posts
  4. rest — what's left
  5. content — happy
  6. shower — rain
  7. branch — of a tree
  8. bulb — for light
  9. shower — to wash
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. lash — to lash out
  12. branch — a division
  13. rest — a break
  14. lash — an eyelash
  15. shower — a meteor shower
  16. tube — a container
  17. content — the amount
  18. rest — what's left
  19. tube — the underground
  20. bulb — of a plant
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. branch — of a bank
  23. cabinet — a cupboard
  24. lash — a whip stroke

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