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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  2. He was locked up in a ________________.
  3. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  4. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  5. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  6. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  7. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  8. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  9. I've got to change the light ________________.
  10. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  11. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  12. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  13. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  14. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  15. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  16. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  17. The light ________________ burned out.
  18. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — a garden tool
  2. cell — in a prison
  3. cell — a phone
  4. fork — to eat with
  5. calf — of the leg
  6. cue — a signal
  7. shower — to wash
  8. bulb — of a plant
  9. bulb — for light
  10. cell — in biology
  11. cue — a hint
  12. shower — a meteor shower
  13. fork — in a road
  14. cue — for pool
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. shower — rain
  17. bulb — for light
  18. calf — a young animal

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