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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. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  2. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  3. The ball is in your ________________.
  4. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  5. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  6. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  7. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  8. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  9. Have you met the new head ________________?
  10. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  11. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  12. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  13. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  14. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  15. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  16. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  17. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  18. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  19. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  20. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  21. I've got to change the light ________________.
  22. The light ________________ burned out.
  23. My father caught me by the ________________.
  24. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — to put up with
  2. bulb — of a plant
  3. court — for sport
  4. coach — pulled by horses
  5. arm — a part of something
  6. court — of a king
  7. bear — the animal
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. dip — to sink
  11. fine — high quality
  12. fine — a penalty
  13. court — of law
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. calf — of the leg
  17. fine — all right
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. bear — the animal
  20. dip — a sauce
  21. bulb — for light
  22. bulb — for light
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. dip — to dunk

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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