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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 giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  2. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  3. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  4. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  5. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  6. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  7. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  8. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  9. I've got to change the light ________________.
  10. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  11. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  12. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  13. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  14. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  15. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  16. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  17. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  18. Have you met the new head ________________?
  19. The light ________________ burned out.
  20. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  21. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  22. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  23. When are we going to ________________?
  24. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. dip — a sauce
  5. dip — to sink
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. land — ground
  8. coach — pulled by horses
  9. bulb — for light
  10. stem — a stem cell
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. dip — to dunk
  13. stem — to come from
  14. calf — of the leg
  15. bulb — of a plant
  16. stem — of a plant
  17. shower — a meteor shower
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. bulb — for light
  20. mouse — for a computer
  21. shower — to wash
  22. shower — rain
  23. land — to come down
  24. land — a country

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