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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. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  2. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  3. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  4. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  5. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  6. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  7. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  8. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  9. The ________________ took off on time.
  10. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  11. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  12. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  13. The light ________________ burned out.
  14. There's no middle ________________.
  15. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  16. I've got to change the light ________________.
  17. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  18. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  19. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  20. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  21. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  22. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  23. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  24. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — crushed
  2. bass — the fish
  3. plane — in geometry
  4. ground — the earth
  5. leaves — lets stay
  6. mine — an explosive
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. leaves — of a tree
  9. plane — an aircraft
  10. calf — of the leg
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. leaves — to go away
  13. bulb — for light
  14. ground — a position
  15. bear — the animal
  16. bulb — for light
  17. mine — for digging
  18. plane — a tool
  19. mine — belonging to me
  20. bear — the animal
  21. bass — low music
  22. bear — to put up with
  23. bass — the instrument
  24. bulb — of a plant

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