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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. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  5. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  6. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  7. The light ________________ burned out.
  8. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  9. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  10. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  11. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  12. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  13. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  14. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  15. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  16. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  17. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  18. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  19. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  20. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  21. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  22. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  23. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  24. He had ________________ pain while walking.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — of a plant
  2. drill — army training
  3. bulb — for light
  4. prune — to trim
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. wave — of the sea
  7. bulb — for light
  8. drill — a practice
  9. clip — for paper
  10. bass — the instrument
  11. drill — the tool
  12. lean — to bend
  13. wave — a sudden rise
  14. bass — the fish
  15. lean — thin
  16. bass — low music
  17. clip — a video
  18. prune — the fruit
  19. clip — to cut
  20. lean — to rest against
  21. wave — with your hand
  22. prune — to trim
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. calf — of the leg

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