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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. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  2. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  3. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  4. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  5. The light ________________ burned out.
  6. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  7. David sat on the ________________.
  8. When was this ________________ built?
  9. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  10. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  11. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  12. I've got to change the light ________________.
  13. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  14. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  15. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  16. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  17. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  18. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  19. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  20. When are we going to ________________?
  21. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  22. That was ________________ to happen.
  23. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  24. I've got the luggage in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — obliged
  2. swing — in golf
  3. bound — tied together
  4. bulb — of a plant
  5. bulb — for light
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. swing — to play on
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. calf — of the leg
  10. rest — what's left
  11. rest — a break
  12. bulb — for light
  13. rest — what's left
  14. trunk — of an elephant
  15. land — ground
  16. trunk — of a tree
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. temple — side of the head
  19. land — a country
  20. land — to come down
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. bound — certain
  23. swing — music
  24. trunk — of a car

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