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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: bulb · kid · lean · fall · pop · branch · fine · trunk

  1. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  2. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  3. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  4. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  5. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  6. I've got to change the light ________________.
  7. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  8. You don't need to ________________ round.
  9. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  10. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  11. We're almost out of ________________.
  12. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  13. The light ________________ burned out.
  14. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  15. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  16. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  17. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  18. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  19. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  20. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  21. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  22. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  23. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  24. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  2. trunk — of a car
  3. pop — music
  4. kid — to tease
  5. fall — to drop
  6. bulb — for light
  7. lean — thin
  8. pop — to visit
  9. kid — child
  10. trunk — of a tree
  11. pop — soda
  12. bulb — of a plant
  13. bulb — for light
  14. trunk — of an elephant
  15. fine — high quality
  16. branch — a division
  17. branch — of a tree
  18. lean — to bend
  19. fine — a penalty
  20. branch — of a bank
  21. fall — the season
  22. fall — to drop
  23. fine — all right
  24. lean — to rest against

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