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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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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: bulb · wave · branch · ground · deal · tear · cell · foot

  1. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  2. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  3. There's no middle ________________.
  4. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  5. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  6. He was locked up in a ________________.
  7. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  8. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  9. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  10. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  11. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  12. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  13. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  14. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  15. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  16. I've got to change the light ________________.
  17. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  18. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  19. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  20. The light ________________ burned out.
  21. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  22. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  23. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  24. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — part of the body
  2. ground — the earth
  3. ground — a position
  4. tear — from crying
  5. deal — to handle
  6. cell — in a prison
  7. tear — from crying
  8. cell — in biology
  9. cell — a phone
  10. foot — a measure
  11. branch — of a tree
  12. branch — of a bank
  13. wave — a sudden rise
  14. ground — crushed
  15. deal — an agreement
  16. bulb — for light
  17. foot — the bottom
  18. tear — to rip
  19. bulb — of a plant
  20. bulb — for light
  21. deal — a big deal
  22. branch — a division
  23. wave — of the sea
  24. wave — with your hand

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