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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 120 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. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  2. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  3. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  4. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  5. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  6. I've got to change the light ________________.
  7. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  8. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  9. Have you met the new head ________________?
  10. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  11. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  12. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  13. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  14. The light ________________ burned out.
  15. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  16. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  17. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  18. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — of the leg
  2. mine — for digging
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. hide — animal skin
  5. coach — pulled by horses
  6. bulb — for light
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. mine — belonging to me
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. bulb — for light
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. stick — to attach or keep to
  17. mine — an explosive
  18. bulb — of a plant

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