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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: cabinet · toast · mine · fall · shower · branch · bank · bulb

  1. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  2. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  3. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  4. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  5. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  6. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  7. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  8. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  9. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  10. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  11. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  12. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  13. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  14. I've got to change the light ________________.
  15. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  16. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  17. What do you think of the new ________________?
  18. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  19. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  20. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  21. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  22. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  23. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  24. The light ________________ burned out.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — of a river
  2. shower — to wash
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. branch — of a bank
  5. mine — for digging
  6. branch — of a tree
  7. cabinet — a cupboard
  8. branch — a division
  9. bank — for money
  10. toast — a drink to someone
  11. mine — an explosive
  12. shower — a meteor shower
  13. shower — rain
  14. bulb — for light
  15. mine — belonging to me
  16. fall — to drop
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. bulb — of a plant
  19. toast — the most admired
  20. toast — bread
  21. fall — the season
  22. bank — for money
  23. fall — to drop
  24. bulb — for light

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