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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. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  2. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  3. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  4. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  5. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  6. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  7. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  8. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  9. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  10. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  11. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  12. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  13. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  14. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  15. I've got to change the light ________________.
  16. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  17. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  18. He is an ace ________________.
  19. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  20. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  21. The light ________________ burned out.
  22. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  23. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  24. Fill up this ________________ with water.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — of a plant
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. wave — of the sea
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. calf — of the leg
  6. board — a committee
  7. scale — in music
  8. wave — a sudden rise
  9. board — to get on
  10. current — happening now
  11. current — electric
  12. spring — the season
  13. board — a flat piece
  14. wave — with your hand
  15. bulb — for light
  16. spring — a coil
  17. scale — for weighing
  18. pitcher — in baseball
  19. scale — size or range
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. bulb — for light
  22. spring — of water
  23. current — of water
  24. pitcher — a jug

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