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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 116 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 kitten curled into a ________________.
  2. We're almost out of ________________.
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  5. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  6. The King held a masked ________________.
  7. The light ________________ burned out.
  8. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  9. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  10. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  11. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  12. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  13. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  14. False peace will not ________________.
  15. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  16. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  17. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  18. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  19. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  20. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  21. The tickets are free of ________________.
  22. You don't need to ________________ round.
  23. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  24. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a round shape
  2. pop — soda
  3. bulb — for light
  4. bulb — of a plant
  5. charge — electricity
  6. ball — a dance
  7. bulb — for light
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. pop — music
  10. kick — a thrill
  11. calf — of the leg
  12. track — a song
  13. last — final
  14. last — to go on
  15. charge — in control
  16. ball — a great time
  17. track — to keep track
  18. last — finally
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. kick — with a leg
  21. charge — a price
  22. pop — to visit
  23. track — a path
  24. kick — in football

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