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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: tube · calf · season · leaves · wind · bulb · branch · rock

  1. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  2. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  5. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  6. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  7. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  8. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  9. Did you ________________ the meat?
  10. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  11. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  12. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  13. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  14. The light ________________ burned out.
  15. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  16. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  17. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  18. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  19. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  20. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  21. I'll be taking the ________________.
  22. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  23. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  24. The train ________________ at six o'clock.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — to turn a key
  2. leaves — of a tree
  3. bulb — for light
  4. season — of the year
  5. branch — of a tree
  6. wind — moving air
  7. branch — of a bank
  8. bulb — of a plant
  9. season — to add flavour
  10. branch — a division
  11. wind — moving air
  12. rock — music
  13. tube — in a tire
  14. bulb — for light
  15. rock — a stone
  16. rock — to move gently
  17. season — in sport
  18. leaves — lets stay
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. tube — a container
  21. tube — the underground
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. calf — of the leg
  24. leaves — to go away

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