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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. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  2. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  3. The King held a masked ________________.
  4. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  5. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  6. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  7. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  8. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  9. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  10. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  11. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  12. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  13. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  14. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  15. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  16. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  17. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  18. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  19. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  20. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  21. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  22. The light ________________ burned out.
  23. I've got to change the light ________________.
  24. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — a strongbox
  2. ball — a round shape
  3. ball — a dance
  4. file — a document
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. wave — with your hand
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. fan — to cool the air
  10. wave — a sudden rise
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. calf — of the leg
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. object — an aim
  15. ball — a great time
  16. bulb — of a plant
  17. file — a tool
  18. object — to protest
  19. file — a line of people
  20. object — a thing
  21. wave — of the sea
  22. bulb — for light
  23. bulb — for light
  24. calf — a young animal

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