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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. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  2. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  3. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  6. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  7. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  8. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  9. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  10. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  11. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  12. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  13. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  14. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  15. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  16. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  17. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  18. I've got to change the light ________________.
  19. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  20. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  21. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  22. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  23. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  24. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — of a plant
  2. snap — to click
  3. content — the amount
  4. bulb — for light
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. object — a thing
  7. root — the cause
  8. object — an aim
  9. object — to protest
  10. rock — to move gently
  11. content — videos and posts
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. root — of a plant
  14. mark — a grade
  15. mark — to pay attention
  16. snap — to snap out of it
  17. root — of a word
  18. bulb — for light
  19. content — happy
  20. mark — a trace
  21. rock — music
  22. rock — a stone
  23. calf — of the leg
  24. snap — to speak sharply

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