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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
468
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 · lean · staff · squash · cell · branch · cabinet · lie

  1. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  2. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. I've got to change the light ________________.
  5. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  6. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  7. He was locked up in a ________________.
  8. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  9. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  10. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  11. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  12. What do you think of the new ________________?
  13. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  14. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  15. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  16. The light ________________ burned out.
  17. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  18. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  19. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  20. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  21. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  22. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  23. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  24. Biology is a ________________ of science.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in biology
  2. branch — of a bank
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. bulb — for light
  5. cabinet — a cupboard
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. cell — in a prison
  8. lean — to bend
  9. lean — thin
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. staff — employees
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. lie — to recline
  15. squash — the sport
  16. bulb — for light
  17. branch — of a tree
  18. staff — employees
  19. squash — the vegetable
  20. staff — a stick
  21. cell — a phone
  22. lean — to rest against
  23. squash — to crush
  24. branch — a division

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