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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. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  2. He was locked up in a ________________.
  3. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  4. This piece is in a major ________________.
  5. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  6. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  7. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  8. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  9. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  12. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  13. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  14. Have you met the new head ________________?
  15. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  16. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  17. The light ________________ burned out.
  18. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  19. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  20. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  21. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  22. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  23. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  24. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — of the leg
  2. cell — in a prison
  3. cell — a phone
  4. key — in music
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. cell — in biology
  7. bulb — of a plant
  8. coach — pulled by horses
  9. key — for a lock
  10. bulb — for light
  11. key — the most important part
  12. leaves — of a tree
  13. tear — from crying
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. tear — from crying
  16. tear — to rip
  17. bulb — for light
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. vault — an arched ceiling
  21. vault — a safe
  22. leaves — lets stay
  23. leaves — to go away
  24. vault — in gymnastics

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