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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.

Make a worksheet

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: season · scale · bulb · branch · cue · stick · plane · tear

  1. The light ________________ burned out.
  2. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  5. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  6. Did you ________________ the meat?
  7. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  8. I've got to change the light ________________.
  9. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  10. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  11. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  12. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  13. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  14. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  15. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  16. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  17. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  18. The ________________ took off on time.
  19. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  20. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  21. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  22. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  23. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  24. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. tear — to rip
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. branch — a division
  5. cue — a hint
  6. season — to add flavour
  7. scale — in music
  8. bulb — for light
  9. stick — to attach or keep to
  10. cue — for pool
  11. branch — of a tree
  12. season — in sport
  13. tear — from crying
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. cue — a signal
  17. plane — a tool
  18. plane — an aircraft
  19. tear — from crying
  20. scale — for weighing
  21. season — of the year
  22. plane — in geometry
  23. scale — size or range
  24. branch — of a bank

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