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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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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. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  2. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  3. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  4. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  5. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  6. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  7. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  8. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  9. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. The light ________________ burned out.
  12. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  13. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  14. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  15. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  16. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  17. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  18. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  19. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  20. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  21. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  22. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  23. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  24. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — for baseball
  2. toast — bread
  3. calf — of the leg
  4. rest — a break
  5. capital — a city
  6. bat — in an idiom
  7. stick — to attach or keep to
  8. spring — of water
  9. toast — a drink to someone
  10. bulb — for light
  11. bulb — for light
  12. toast — the most admired
  13. capital — money
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. rest — what's left
  16. spring — the season
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. capital — a big letter
  19. bat — the animal
  20. spring — a coil
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. bulb — of a plant
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. rest — what's left

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