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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. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  2. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  3. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  4. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  5. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  6. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  7. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  8. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  9. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  12. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  13. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  14. The light ________________ burned out.
  15. That was ________________ to happen.
  16. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  17. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  18. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  19. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  20. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  21. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  22. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  23. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  24. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?

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

Answer key

  1. present — there
  2. present — a gift
  3. present — the time now
  4. calf — of the leg
  5. bound — obliged
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. wound — past of 'wind'
  9. wound — an injury
  10. bulb — for light
  11. fan — to cool the air
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. rock — a stone
  14. bulb — for light
  15. bound — certain
  16. wound — an injury
  17. net — in sport
  18. rock — to move gently
  19. net — for catching
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. bulb — of a plant
  22. bound — tied together
  23. net — after costs
  24. rock — music

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