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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. I've got to change the light ________________.
  2. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  3. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  4. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  5. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  6. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  7. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  8. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  9. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  10. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  11. Have you met the new head ________________?
  12. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  13. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  14. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  15. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  16. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  17. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  18. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  19. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  20. That was ________________ to happen.
  21. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  22. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  23. How do you ________________ your surname?
  24. The light ________________ burned out.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. spell — magic
  4. calf — of the leg
  5. bound — obliged
  6. coach — pulled by horses
  7. face — to confront
  8. stick — to attach or keep to
  9. face — part of the head
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. spell — a short time
  15. field — farmland
  16. face — to point toward
  17. bound — tied together
  18. field — for sport
  19. bulb — of a plant
  20. bound — certain
  21. field — a subject
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. spell — letters
  24. bulb — for light

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