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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. I've got to change the light ________________.
  2. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  3. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  4. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  5. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  6. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  7. The light ________________ burned out.
  8. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  9. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  10. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  11. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  12. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  13. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  14. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  15. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  16. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  17. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  18. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  19. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  20. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  21. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  22. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  23. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  24. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. fork — a garden tool
  3. fork — to eat with
  4. trunk — of a car
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. bulb — for light
  8. can — a tin
  9. fork — in a road
  10. can — to be able to
  11. stem — a stem cell
  12. trunk — of a tree
  13. stem — to come from
  14. hand — part of the body
  15. snap — to snap out of it
  16. can — a tin
  17. hand — help
  18. trunk — of an elephant
  19. stem — of a plant
  20. hand — in cards
  21. calf — of the leg
  22. bulb — of a plant
  23. snap — to click
  24. snap — to speak sharply

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