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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. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  2. I've got to change the light ________________.
  3. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  4. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  5. The light ________________ burned out.
  6. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  7. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  8. The ________________ went through the wall.
  9. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  10. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  11. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  12. Don't do anything ________________.
  13. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  14. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  15. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  16. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  17. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  18. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  19. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  20. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  21. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  22. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  23. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  24. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — of a plant
  2. bulb — for light
  3. drill — army training
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. bulb — for light
  6. pit — a fruit stone
  7. lean — thin
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. cue — for pool
  10. cue — a hint
  11. pit — a hole
  12. rash — hasty
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. pit — in a race
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. drill — the tool
  17. nail — on a finger
  18. rash — on the skin
  19. calf — of the leg
  20. drill — a practice
  21. lean — to rest against
  22. cue — a signal
  23. lean — to bend
  24. rash — a series

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