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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: toast · face · cabinet · calf · scale · branch · coach · bulb

  1. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  2. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  3. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  4. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  5. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  6. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  7. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  8. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  9. Have you met the new head ________________?
  10. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  11. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  12. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  13. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  14. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  15. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  16. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  17. What do you think of the new ________________?
  18. I've got to change the light ________________.
  19. The light ________________ burned out.
  20. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  21. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  22. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  23. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  24. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — of a plant
  2. coach — pulled by horses
  3. scale — for weighing
  4. toast — a drink to someone
  5. scale — size or range
  6. branch — a division
  7. face — part of the head
  8. scale — in music
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. branch — of a tree
  11. cabinet — a cupboard
  12. branch — of a bank
  13. calf — of the leg
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. bulb — for light
  19. bulb — for light
  20. toast — the most admired
  21. face — to confront
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. toast — bread
  24. face — to point toward

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