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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. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  3. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  4. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  5. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  6. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  7. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  10. My mare is ________________ in color.
  11. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  12. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  13. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  14. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  15. Don't do anything ________________.
  16. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  17. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  18. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  19. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  20. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  21. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  22. I've got to change the light ________________.
  23. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  24. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — of a plant
  2. deal — a big deal
  3. band — a rubber band
  4. rash — on the skin
  5. band — a music group
  6. can — a tin
  7. can — a tin
  8. bulb — for light
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. bay — a horse colour
  11. deal — an agreement
  12. ruler — a monarch
  13. band — a ring
  14. bay — to keep at bay
  15. rash — hasty
  16. deal — to handle
  17. can — to be able to
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. bay — a part of the sea
  20. rash — a series
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. bulb — for light
  23. calf — of the leg
  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