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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 light ________________ burned out.
  2. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  3. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  4. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  5. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  6. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  7. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  8. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  9. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  10. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  11. I'll be taking the ________________.
  12. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  13. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  14. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  15. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  16. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  17. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  18. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  19. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  20. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  21. I've got to change the light ________________.
  22. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  23. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  24. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. toast — the most admired
  3. kid — to tease
  4. bore — gave birth
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. tube — a container
  7. bore — to drill
  8. tube — in a tire
  9. bore — to tire
  10. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  11. tube — the underground
  12. bear — the animal
  13. calf — of the leg
  14. spring — a coil
  15. spring — of water
  16. bear — the animal
  17. kid — child
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. spring — the season
  20. bulb — of a plant
  21. bulb — for light
  22. toast — a drink to someone
  23. toast — bread
  24. bear — to put up with

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