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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: branch · cell · bulb · wave · stock · shower · saw · fall

  1. He was locked up in a ________________.
  2. I've got to change the light ________________.
  3. She's very handy with a ________________.
  4. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  5. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  6. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  7. The light ________________ burned out.
  8. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  9. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  10. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  11. He works in a ________________ mill.
  12. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  13. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  14. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  15. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  16. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  17. The ________________ market has crashed.
  18. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  19. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  20. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  21. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  22. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  23. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  24. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in a prison
  2. bulb — for light
  3. saw — the tool
  4. shower — to wash
  5. shower — a meteor shower
  6. fall — the season
  7. bulb — for light
  8. wave — with your hand
  9. fall — to drop
  10. shower — rain
  11. saw — the tool
  12. cell — a phone
  13. wave — of the sea
  14. stock — goods
  15. fall — to drop
  16. cell — in biology
  17. stock — shares
  18. branch — of a bank
  19. bulb — of a plant
  20. stock — a soup base
  21. saw — past of 'see'
  22. branch — a division
  23. branch — of a tree
  24. wave — a sudden rise

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