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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 116 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 giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  2. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  3. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  4. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  5. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  6. I've got to change the light ________________.
  7. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  8. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  9. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  10. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  11. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  12. The light ________________ burned out.
  13. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  14. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  15. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  16. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  17. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  18. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  19. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  20. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  21. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  22. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  23. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  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. calf — a young animal
  2. bulb — of a plant
  3. chip — for betting
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  6. bulb — for light
  7. wake — a trail
  8. hide — animal skin
  9. calf — of the leg
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. trunk — of a car
  12. bulb — for light
  13. chip — to eat
  14. trunk — of an elephant
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. trunk — of a tree
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. kid — child
  20. chip — in a computer
  21. wake — before a funeral
  22. lie — to recline
  23. kid — to tease
  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