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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 had ________________ pain while walking.
  2. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  3. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  4. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  5. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  6. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  7. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  8. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  9. I've got to change the light ________________.
  10. The King held a masked ________________.
  11. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  12. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  13. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  14. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  15. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  16. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  17. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  18. The light ________________ burned out.
  19. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  20. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  21. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  22. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  23. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  24. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — of the leg
  2. tear — from crying
  3. kid — to tease
  4. fan — to cool the air
  5. pitch — a sports field
  6. ball — a round shape
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. kid — child
  9. bulb — for light
  10. ball — a dance
  11. ball — a great time
  12. bear — the animal
  13. pitch — a sales talk
  14. pitch — completely
  15. tear — to rip
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. bear — to put up with
  18. bulb — for light
  19. bear — the animal
  20. tear — from crying
  21. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. bulb — of a plant

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