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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. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  2. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  3. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  4. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  5. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  6. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  7. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  8. I've got to change the light ________________.
  9. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  10. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  11. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  12. The light ________________ burned out.
  13. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  14. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  15. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  16. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  17. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  18. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  19. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  20. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  21. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  22. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  23. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  24. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — to move gently
  2. bulb — of a plant
  3. shower — a meteor shower
  4. trunk — of a car
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. branch — a division
  7. shower — to wash
  8. bulb — for light
  9. current — happening now
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. rock — a stone
  12. bulb — for light
  13. current — of water
  14. rock — music
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. calf — of the leg
  17. trunk — of an elephant
  18. shower — rain
  19. trunk — of a tree
  20. branch — of a bank
  21. branch — of a tree
  22. perch — the fish
  23. current — electric
  24. perch — for a bird

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