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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 pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  2. I've got to change the light ________________.
  3. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  4. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  5. We're on a ________________ here.
  6. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  7. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  8. How do you ________________ your surname?
  9. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  10. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  11. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  12. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  13. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  14. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  15. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  16. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  17. That was a fun ________________.
  18. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  19. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  20. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  21. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  22. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  23. The light ________________ burned out.
  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. game — wild animals
  2. bulb — for light
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. cap — a hat
  5. roll — on a roll
  6. roll — a list
  7. firm — steady
  8. spell — letters
  9. bulb — of a plant
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. firm — decided
  12. cap — of ice
  13. cap — a lid
  14. roll — a cake
  15. firm — a company
  16. calf — of the leg
  17. game — a match
  18. spell — magic
  19. spell — a short time
  20. lie — to recline
  21. game — a kind of play
  22. calf — a young animal
  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