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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. The King held a masked ________________.
  2. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  3. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  4. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  5. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  6. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  7. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  8. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  9. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  10. The light ________________ burned out.
  11. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  12. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  13. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  14. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  15. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  16. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  17. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  18. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  19. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  20. I've got to change the light ________________.
  21. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  22. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  23. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  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. ball — a dance
  2. calf — of the leg
  3. mark — a trace
  4. lean — to rest against
  5. mark — a grade
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. file — a line of people
  8. file — a document
  9. mark — to pay attention
  10. bulb — for light
  11. file — a tool
  12. ball — a round shape
  13. bowl — a football final
  14. ball — a great time
  15. bowl — to roll
  16. root — the cause
  17. lean — to bend
  18. bulb — of a plant
  19. bowl — a dish
  20. bulb — for light
  21. root — of a plant
  22. root — of a word
  23. calf — a young animal
  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