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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. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  2. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  3. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  4. I've got to change the light ________________.
  5. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  6. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  7. The light ________________ burned out.
  8. We're almost out of ________________.
  9. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  10. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  11. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  12. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  13. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  14. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  15. The ________________ took off on time.
  16. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  17. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  18. You don't need to ________________ round.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — in an idiom
  2. fine — high quality
  3. fine — all right
  4. bulb — for light
  5. bat — for baseball
  6. bat — the animal
  7. bulb — for light
  8. pop — soda
  9. plane — in geometry
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. pop — music
  12. calf — of the leg
  13. fine — a penalty
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. plane — an aircraft
  16. plane — a tool
  17. bulb — of a plant
  18. pop — to visit

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