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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. The light ________________ burned out.
  2. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  3. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  4. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  5. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  6. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  7. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  8. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  9. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  10. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  11. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  12. I've got to change the light ________________.
  13. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  14. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  15. Did you ________________ the button?
  16. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  17. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  18. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  19. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  20. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  21. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  22. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  23. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  24. She got the top ________________ in the exam.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. calf — of the leg
  3. snap — to click
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. leaves — lets stay
  6. bulb — of a plant
  7. mark — a trace
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. leaves — to go away
  10. mark — to pay attention
  11. shower — a meteor shower
  12. bulb — for light
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. press — newspapers
  15. press — to push
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. press — a publisher
  18. snap — to snap out of it
  19. stick — to attach or keep to
  20. shower — to wash
  21. snap — to speak sharply
  22. shower — rain
  23. leaves — of a tree
  24. mark — a grade

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