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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. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  2. The ________________ went through the wall.
  3. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  4. How do you ________________ your surname?
  5. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  6. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  7. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  8. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  9. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  12. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  13. The light ________________ burned out.
  14. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  15. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  16. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  17. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  18. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  19. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  20. It's one o'clock ________________.
  21. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  22. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  23. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  24. He is as ________________ as a wolf.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — clever
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. trunk — of a tree
  4. spell — letters
  5. spell — magic
  6. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  7. kid — child
  8. spell — a short time
  9. trunk — of a car
  10. bulb — for light
  11. bulb — of a plant
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. bulb — for light
  14. nail — on a finger
  15. sharp — with an edge
  16. lean — to rest against
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. trunk — of an elephant
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. sharp — exactly
  21. lean — to bend
  22. kid — to tease
  23. calf — of the leg
  24. lean — thin

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