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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 light ________________ burned out.
  2. We're almost out of ________________.
  3. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  4. What do you think of the new ________________?
  5. You don't need to ________________ round.
  6. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  7. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  8. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  9. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  10. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  11. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  12. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  13. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  14. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  15. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  16. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  17. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  18. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  19. I've got to change the light ________________.
  20. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  21. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  22. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  23. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  24. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. pop — soda
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. pop — to visit
  6. row — to paddle
  7. bulb — of a plant
  8. chip — to eat
  9. stem — a stem cell
  10. row — a line
  11. leaves — of a tree
  12. leaves — to go away
  13. chip — in a computer
  14. row — a quarrel
  15. stem — of a plant
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. stem — to come from
  18. chip — for betting
  19. bulb — for light
  20. leaves — lets stay
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. calf — of the leg
  23. cabinet — a cupboard
  24. pop — music

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