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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 got dealt a bad ________________.
  2. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  3. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  4. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  5. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  6. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  7. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  8. I've got to change the light ________________.
  9. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  10. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  11. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  12. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  13. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  14. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  15. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  16. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  17. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  18. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  19. The light ________________ burned out.
  20. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  21. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  22. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  23. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  24. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — in cards
  2. bulb — of a plant
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. face — part of the head
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. face — to point toward
  7. hand — part of the body
  8. bulb — for light
  9. band — a music group
  10. wake — a trail
  11. content — videos and posts
  12. face — to confront
  13. leaves — lets stay
  14. leaves — to go away
  15. calf — of the leg
  16. band — a rubber band
  17. hand — help
  18. content — the amount
  19. bulb — for light
  20. band — a ring
  21. leaves — of a tree
  22. content — happy
  23. wake — before a funeral
  24. wake — to stop sleeping

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