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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 120 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 girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  2. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  5. The light ________________ burned out.
  6. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  7. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  8. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  9. I can't ________________ this cold.
  10. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  11. I've got to change the light ________________.
  12. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  13. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  14. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  15. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  16. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  17. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  18. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  19. Don't do anything ________________.
  20. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  21. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  22. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  23. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  24. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a line
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. band — a music group
  5. bulb — for light
  6. stand — for spectators
  7. calf — of the leg
  8. current — of water
  9. stand — to bear
  10. current — happening now
  11. bulb — for light
  12. row — to paddle
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. band — a ring
  15. march — the month
  16. rash — a series
  17. row — a quarrel
  18. march — music
  19. rash — hasty
  20. march — the month
  21. stand — on your feet
  22. rash — on the skin
  23. current — electric
  24. band — a rubber band

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