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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 120 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. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  2. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  5. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  6. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  7. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  8. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  9. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  10. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  11. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  12. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  13. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  14. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  15. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  16. The light ________________ burned out.
  17. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  18. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  19. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  20. What do you think of the new ________________?
  21. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  22. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  23. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  24. Boris sat near the fire ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a word
  2. bulb — of a plant
  3. bulb — for light
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. can — a tin
  7. pit — in a race
  8. chest — of your body
  9. cabinet — a cupboard
  10. root — the cause
  11. calf — of the leg
  12. can — to be able to
  13. chest — of your body
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. pit — a fruit stone
  16. bulb — for light
  17. chest — a box
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. root — of a plant
  22. perch — the fish
  23. can — a tin
  24. pit — a hole

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