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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. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  3. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  4. I've got to change the light ________________.
  5. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  6. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  7. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  8. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  9. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  10. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  11. The light ________________ burned out.
  12. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  13. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  14. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  15. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  16. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  17. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  18. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  19. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  20. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  21. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  22. When are we going to ________________?
  23. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  24. He was locked up in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — of the leg
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. bulb — for light
  5. leaves — to go away
  6. leaves — lets stay
  7. fan — to cool the air
  8. cell — in biology
  9. snap — to snap out of it
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. bulb — for light
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. bulb — of a plant
  14. vault — an arched ceiling
  15. cell — a phone
  16. snap — to speak sharply
  17. vault — a safe
  18. leaves — of a tree
  19. vault — in gymnastics
  20. land — a country
  21. land — ground
  22. land — to come down
  23. snap — to click
  24. cell — in a prison

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