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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. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  2. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  3. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  4. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  5. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  6. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  7. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  8. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  9. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  10. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  11. The light ________________ burned out.
  12. I've got to change the light ________________.
  13. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  14. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  15. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  16. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  17. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  18. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  19. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  20. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  21. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  22. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  23. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  24. Many English words ________________ from Latin.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — for baseball
  2. deal — an agreement
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. trunk — of a car
  5. deal — a big deal
  6. calf — of the leg
  7. trunk — of an elephant
  8. rest — what's left
  9. lean — to rest against
  10. trunk — of a tree
  11. bulb — for light
  12. bulb — for light
  13. bat — the animal
  14. bat — in an idiom
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. rest — a break
  17. bulb — of a plant
  18. lean — to bend
  19. stem — a stem cell
  20. stem — of a plant
  21. rest — what's left
  22. lean — thin
  23. deal — to handle
  24. stem — to come from

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