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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 giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  2. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  3. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  4. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  5. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  6. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  7. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  8. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  9. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  10. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  11. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  12. The ________________ took off on time.
  13. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  14. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  15. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  16. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  17. Did you ________________ the meat?
  18. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  19. I've got to change the light ________________.
  20. My father caught me by the ________________.
  21. The light ________________ burned out.
  22. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  23. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  24. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. bulb — of a plant
  3. trunk — of an elephant
  4. season — in sport
  5. trunk — of a car
  6. cap — of ice
  7. calf — of the leg
  8. season — of the year
  9. cap — a lid
  10. pound — to hit hard
  11. pound — for dogs
  12. plane — an aircraft
  13. cap — a hat
  14. plane — a tool
  15. pound — a weight
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. season — to add flavour
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. bulb — for light
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. bulb — for light
  22. arm — a part of something
  23. trunk — of a tree
  24. plane — in geometry

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