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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. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  2. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  3. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  4. He was locked up in a ________________.
  5. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  6. When will it ________________ you to start?
  7. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  8. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  9. I've got to change the light ________________.
  10. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  11. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  12. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  13. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  14. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  15. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  16. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  17. The light ________________ burned out.
  18. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  19. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  20. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  21. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  22. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  23. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  24. We were using a ________________ as a seat.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — help
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. suit — in cards
  4. cell — in a prison
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. suit — to fit
  7. cell — a phone
  8. rock — to move gently
  9. bulb — for light
  10. foot — a measure
  11. mark — a grade
  12. foot — part of the body
  13. hand — in cards
  14. hand — part of the body
  15. calf — of the leg
  16. bulb — of a plant
  17. bulb — for light
  18. rock — music
  19. foot — the bottom
  20. mark — to pay attention
  21. suit — clothes
  22. cell — in biology
  23. mark — a trace
  24. rock — a stone

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