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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'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  2. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  3. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  4. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  5. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  6. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  7. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  8. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  9. Have you settled on a ________________?
  10. Have you found your soul ________________?
  11. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  12. When are we going to ________________?
  13. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  14. I've got to change the light ________________.
  15. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  16. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  17. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  18. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  19. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  20. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  21. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  22. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  23. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  24. The light ________________ burned out.

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

Answer key

  1. land — ground
  2. bulb — of a plant
  3. drill — the tool
  4. land — a country
  5. mate — to breed
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. date — the fruit
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. mate — a partner
  11. drill — a practice
  12. land — to come down
  13. mark — a grade
  14. bulb — for light
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. mate — a friend
  17. drill — army training
  18. calf — of the leg
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. mark — a trace
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. mark — to pay attention
  23. stick — to attach or keep to
  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