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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 came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  2. The water is too ________________.
  3. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  4. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  5. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  6. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  7. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  8. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  9. Have you found your soul ________________?
  10. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  11. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  12. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  13. The light ________________ burned out.
  14. I've got to change the light ________________.
  15. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  16. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  17. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  18. I'll be taking the ________________.
  19. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  20. That was ________________ to happen.
  21. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  22. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  23. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  24. That must've been a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — in a road
  2. cold — not warm
  3. calf — of the leg
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. cold — the Cold War
  6. fork — a garden tool
  7. tube — a container
  8. rush — to hurry
  9. mate — a partner
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. tube — in a tire
  12. mate — a friend
  13. bulb — for light
  14. bulb — for light
  15. bulb — of a plant
  16. bound — tied together
  17. rush — hurry
  18. tube — the underground
  19. fork — to eat with
  20. bound — certain
  21. mate — to breed
  22. cold — an illness
  23. bound — obliged
  24. rush — a thrill

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