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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. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  2. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  3. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  4. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  5. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  6. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  7. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  8. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  9. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  10. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  11. The light ________________ burned out.
  12. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  13. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  14. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  15. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  16. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  17. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  18. I've got to change the light ________________.
  19. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  20. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  21. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  22. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  23. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  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. spring — a coil
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. fall — the season
  4. fall — to drop
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. board — to get on
  7. degree — temperature
  8. spring — the season
  9. calf — of the leg
  10. bulb — of a plant
  11. bulb — for light
  12. degree — an amount
  13. board — a committee
  14. fork — in a road
  15. fall — to drop
  16. mouse — for a computer
  17. fork — a garden tool
  18. bulb — for light
  19. degree — from a university
  20. spring — of water
  21. board — a flat piece
  22. fork — to eat with
  23. mouse — the animal
  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