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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 116 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. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  2. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  3. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  4. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  5. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  6. When are we going to ________________?
  7. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  8. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  9. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  10. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  11. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  12. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  13. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  14. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  15. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  16. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  17. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  18. The light ________________ burned out.
  19. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  20. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  21. Have you found your soul ________________?
  22. I've got to change the light ________________.
  23. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  24. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — to breed
  2. fall — the season
  3. root — the cause
  4. bulb — of a plant
  5. land — a country
  6. land — to come down
  7. lash — a whip stroke
  8. calf — of the leg
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. land — ground
  11. object — to protest
  12. mate — a friend
  13. root — of a plant
  14. fall — to drop
  15. fall — to drop
  16. object — an aim
  17. root — of a word
  18. bulb — for light
  19. lash — to lash out
  20. lash — an eyelash
  21. mate — a partner
  22. bulb — for light
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. object — a thing

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