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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.

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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: sharp · branch · tube · can · land · kick · row · bulb

  1. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  2. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  3. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  4. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  5. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  6. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  7. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  8. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  9. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  10. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  11. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  12. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  13. I'll be taking the ________________.
  14. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  15. When are we going to ________________?
  16. It's one o'clock ________________.
  17. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  18. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  19. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  20. I've got to change the light ________________.
  21. The light ________________ burned out.
  22. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  23. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  24. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — of a plant
  2. tube — in a tire
  3. row — a quarrel
  4. kick — with a leg
  5. branch — of a bank
  6. row — to paddle
  7. can — a tin
  8. sharp — with an edge
  9. kick — in football
  10. sharp — clever
  11. land — ground
  12. can — to be able to
  13. tube — the underground
  14. land — a country
  15. land — to come down
  16. sharp — exactly
  17. tube — a container
  18. branch — of a tree
  19. row — a line
  20. bulb — for light
  21. bulb — for light
  22. kick — a thrill
  23. branch — a division
  24. can — a tin

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