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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. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  2. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  3. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  4. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  7. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  8. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  9. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  10. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  11. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  12. Don't do anything ________________.
  13. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  14. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  15. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  16. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  17. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  18. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  19. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  20. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  21. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  22. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  23. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  24. The light ________________ burned out.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. rash — a series
  3. rash — on the skin
  4. wave — of the sea
  5. bulb — for light
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. kid — to tease
  8. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  9. wave — with your hand
  10. bulb — of a plant
  11. field — a subject
  12. rash — hasty
  13. net — after costs
  14. net — for catching
  15. net — in sport
  16. board — a committee
  17. field — farmland
  18. board — a flat piece
  19. field — for sport
  20. kid — child
  21. board — to get on
  22. calf — of the leg
  23. wave — a sudden rise
  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