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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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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: cell · last · bulb · pass · ground · branch · cabinet · face

  1. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  2. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  3. The light ________________ burned out.
  4. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  5. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  6. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  7. He was locked up in a ________________.
  8. False peace will not ________________.
  9. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  10. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  11. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  12. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  13. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  14. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  15. What do you think of the new ________________?
  16. There's no middle ________________.
  17. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  18. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  19. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  20. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  21. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  22. I've got to change the light ________________.
  23. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  24. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — of a plant
  2. face — part of the head
  3. bulb — for light
  4. face — to point toward
  5. cell — in biology
  6. pass — to succeed
  7. cell — in a prison
  8. last — to go on
  9. branch — a division
  10. pass — to spend time
  11. ground — the earth
  12. last — final
  13. face — to confront
  14. last — finally
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. ground — a position
  17. cabinet — a cupboard
  18. branch — of a tree
  19. cell — a phone
  20. branch — of a bank
  21. pass — a permit
  22. bulb — for light
  23. ground — crushed
  24. cabinet — ministers

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