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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. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  2. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  5. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  6. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  7. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  8. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  9. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  10. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  11. I've got to change the light ________________.
  12. The light ________________ burned out.
  13. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  14. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  15. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  16. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  17. We're on a ________________ here.
  18. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  19. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  20. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  21. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  22. I'll be taking the ________________.
  23. Have you found your soul ________________?
  24. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — a stone
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. rock — to move gently
  5. chest — a box
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. calf — of the leg
  8. mate — to breed
  9. roll — a list
  10. mate — a friend
  11. bulb — for light
  12. bulb — for light
  13. march — the month
  14. tube — in a tire
  15. rock — music
  16. roll — a cake
  17. roll — on a roll
  18. tube — a container
  19. march — music
  20. chest — of your body
  21. chest — of your body
  22. tube — the underground
  23. mate — a partner
  24. march — the month

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