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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 120 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 ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  2. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  3. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  4. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  5. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  6. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  7. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  8. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  9. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  10. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  11. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  12. That was ________________ to happen.
  13. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  14. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  15. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  16. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  17. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  18. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  19. I've got to change the light ________________.
  20. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  21. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  22. The light ________________ burned out.
  23. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  24. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?

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

Answer key

  1. bat — for baseball
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. rule — a law
  4. wound — an injury
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. bulb — of a plant
  7. wound — an injury
  8. rule — to rule out
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. wound — past of 'wind'
  11. bat — the animal
  12. bound — certain
  13. bound — tied together
  14. calf — of the leg
  15. mouse — for a computer
  16. face — to confront
  17. face — to point toward
  18. bound — obliged
  19. bulb — for light
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. bat — in an idiom
  22. bulb — for light
  23. face — part of the head
  24. rule — government

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