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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 giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  2. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  3. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  4. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  5. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  6. I've got to change the light ________________.
  7. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  8. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  9. He was locked up in a ________________.
  10. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  11. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  12. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  13. The ________________ went through the wall.
  14. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  15. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  16. We're on a ________________ here.
  17. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  18. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  19. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  20. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  21. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  22. The light ________________ burned out.
  23. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  24. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. cell — in biology
  3. roll — a cake
  4. straw — a straw man
  5. cell — a phone
  6. bulb — for light
  7. degree — temperature
  8. roll — a list
  9. cell — in a prison
  10. straw — to clutch at straws
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. prune — to trim
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. nail — on a finger
  15. degree — an amount
  16. roll — on a roll
  17. bulb — of a plant
  18. calf — of the leg
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. prune — the fruit
  21. degree — from a university
  22. bulb — for light
  23. prune — to trim
  24. straw — dry grass

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