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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 120 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. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  2. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  5. The ________________ went through the wall.
  6. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  7. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  8. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  9. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  10. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  11. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  12. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  13. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  14. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  15. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  16. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  17. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  18. The light ________________ burned out.
  19. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  20. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  21. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  22. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  23. I've got to change the light ________________.
  24. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. scale — for weighing
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. cap — of ice
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. chest — a box
  7. calf — of the leg
  8. scale — size or range
  9. rest — a break
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. cap — a lid
  12. scale — in music
  13. shower — a meteor shower
  14. cap — a hat
  15. shower — to wash
  16. chest — of your body
  17. chest — of your body
  18. bulb — for light
  19. shower — rain
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. rest — what's left
  22. nail — on a finger
  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