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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 120 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: cell · object · branch · plane · rash · fall · kick · bulb

  1. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  2. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  3. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  4. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  5. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  6. Don't do anything ________________.
  7. He was locked up in a ________________.
  8. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  9. The ________________ took off on time.
  10. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  11. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  12. I've got to change the light ________________.
  13. The light ________________ burned out.
  14. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  15. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  16. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  17. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  18. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  19. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  20. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  21. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  22. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  23. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  24. Biology is a ________________ of science.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a tree
  2. bulb — of a plant
  3. rash — on the skin
  4. kick — with a leg
  5. cell — in biology
  6. rash — hasty
  7. cell — in a prison
  8. fall — to drop
  9. plane — an aircraft
  10. cell — a phone
  11. plane — in geometry
  12. bulb — for light
  13. bulb — for light
  14. object — to protest
  15. rash — a series
  16. branch — of a bank
  17. kick — a thrill
  18. object — an aim
  19. kick — in football
  20. object — a thing
  21. fall — to drop
  22. fall — the season
  23. plane — a tool
  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