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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: scale · calf · straw · plane · stock · bulb · bank · tear

  1. I've got to change the light ________________.
  2. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  3. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  4. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  5. The ________________ took off on time.
  6. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  7. The light ________________ burned out.
  8. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  9. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  10. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  11. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  12. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  13. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  14. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  15. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  16. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  17. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  18. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  19. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  20. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  21. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  22. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  23. The ________________ market has crashed.
  24. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. plane — in geometry
  3. scale — in music
  4. bank — for money
  5. plane — an aircraft
  6. straw — to clutch at straws
  7. bulb — for light
  8. straw — dry grass
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. tear — to rip
  11. scale — for weighing
  12. stock — goods
  13. tear — from crying
  14. stock — a soup base
  15. bank — for money
  16. scale — size or range
  17. calf — of the leg
  18. bank — of a river
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. straw — a straw man
  21. tear — from crying
  22. bulb — of a plant
  23. stock — shares
  24. plane — a tool

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