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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. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  2. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  5. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  6. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  7. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  8. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  9. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  10. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  11. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  12. Have you found your soul ________________?
  13. He is an ace ________________.
  14. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  15. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  16. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  17. False peace will not ________________.
  18. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  19. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  20. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  21. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  22. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  23. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  24. The light ________________ burned out.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — to breed
  2. last — final
  3. bulb — for light
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. craft — boats
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. craft — a handicraft
  8. fall — the season
  9. calf — of the leg
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. fall — to drop
  12. mate — a partner
  13. pitcher — in baseball
  14. bulb — of a plant
  15. craft — a skill
  16. fall — to drop
  17. last — to go on
  18. last — finally
  19. club — a group
  20. mate — a friend
  21. club — for dancing
  22. club — for golf
  23. pitcher — a jug
  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