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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: fan · kick · capital · cabinet · lie · branch · bulb · scale

  1. The light ________________ burned out.
  2. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  3. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  4. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  5. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  6. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  7. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  8. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  9. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  10. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  11. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  12. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  13. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  14. What do you think of the new ________________?
  15. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  16. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  17. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  18. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  19. I've got to change the light ________________.
  20. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  21. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  22. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  23. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  24. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. kick — with a leg
  3. branch — of a tree
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. branch — a division
  6. scale — for weighing
  7. branch — of a bank
  8. bulb — of a plant
  9. kick — a thrill
  10. scale — in music
  11. capital — a big letter
  12. fan — to cool the air
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. capital — money
  17. kick — in football
  18. scale — size or range
  19. bulb — for light
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. capital — a city
  22. lie — to recline
  23. cabinet — a cupboard
  24. fan — a supporter

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