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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've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  2. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  3. The light ________________ burned out.
  4. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  5. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  6. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  7. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  8. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  9. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  10. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  11. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  12. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  13. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  14. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  15. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  16. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  17. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  18. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  19. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  20. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  21. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  22. I've got to change the light ________________.
  23. Did you ________________ the meat?
  24. The ________________ change colour in autumn.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  2. calf — of the leg
  3. bulb — for light
  4. hand — help
  5. pit — a fruit stone
  6. kid — to tease
  7. kid — child
  8. season — of the year
  9. season — in sport
  10. leaves — lets stay
  11. prune — to trim
  12. hand — part of the body
  13. pit — a hole
  14. bulb — of a plant
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. pit — in a race
  17. hand — in cards
  18. prune — to trim
  19. leaves — to go away
  20. prune — the fruit
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. bulb — for light
  23. season — to add flavour
  24. leaves — of a tree

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