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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. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  2. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  3. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  4. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  5. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  6. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  7. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  8. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  9. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  10. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  11. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  12. Have you met the new head ________________?
  13. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  14. The light ________________ burned out.
  15. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  16. We're on a ________________ here.
  17. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  18. I've got to change the light ________________.
  19. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  20. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  21. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  22. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  23. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  24. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a list
  2. calf — of the leg
  3. dip — a sauce
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. pound — for dogs
  7. bulb — of a plant
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. dip — to dunk
  10. dip — to sink
  11. fork — to eat with
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. snap — to click
  14. bulb — for light
  15. snap — to speak sharply
  16. roll — on a roll
  17. coach — pulled by horses
  18. bulb — for light
  19. pound — to hit hard
  20. snap — to snap out of it
  21. pound — a weight
  22. fork — a garden tool
  23. roll — a cake
  24. fork — in a road

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