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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 116 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: branch · bulb · face · tube · last · scale · stem · leaves

  1. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  2. The light ________________ burned out.
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  5. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  6. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  7. I'll be taking the ________________.
  8. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  9. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  12. False peace will not ________________.
  13. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  14. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  15. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  16. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  17. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  18. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  19. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  20. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  21. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  22. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  23. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  24. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — size or range
  2. bulb — for light
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. scale — in music
  5. stem — to come from
  6. face — part of the head
  7. tube — the underground
  8. leaves — lets stay
  9. branch — a division
  10. bulb — for light
  11. stem — of a plant
  12. last — to go on
  13. tube — a container
  14. leaves — of a tree
  15. branch — of a tree
  16. leaves — to go away
  17. last — finally
  18. scale — for weighing
  19. face — to confront
  20. last — final
  21. branch — of a bank
  22. tube — in a tire
  23. stem — a stem cell
  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