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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: tear · cabinet · stand · land · saw · branch · bulb · rest

  1. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  2. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  3. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  4. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  5. The light ________________ burned out.
  6. She's very handy with a ________________.
  7. I've got to change the light ________________.
  8. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  9. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  10. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  11. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  12. He works in a ________________ mill.
  13. What do you think of the new ________________?
  14. I can't ________________ this cold.
  15. When are we going to ________________?
  16. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  17. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  18. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  19. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  20. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  21. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  22. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  23. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  24. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a tree
  2. rest — a break
  3. tear — to rip
  4. rest — what's left
  5. bulb — for light
  6. saw — the tool
  7. bulb — for light
  8. bulb — of a plant
  9. branch — of a bank
  10. rest — what's left
  11. cabinet — a cupboard
  12. saw — the tool
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. stand — to bear
  15. land — to come down
  16. land — a country
  17. tear — from crying
  18. stand — for spectators
  19. tear — from crying
  20. branch — a division
  21. saw — past of 'see'
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. stand — on your feet
  24. land — ground

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