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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 strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  2. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  3. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  4. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  5. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  6. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  7. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  8. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  9. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  10. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  11. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  12. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  13. I've got to change the light ________________.
  14. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  15. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  16. The light ________________ burned out.
  17. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  18. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  19. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  20. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  21. That must've been a ________________.
  22. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  23. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  24. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. wind — to turn a key
  3. band — a music group
  4. foot — a measure
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. bulb — of a plant
  7. present — a gift
  8. band — a ring
  9. rush — to hurry
  10. present — the time now
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. rush — hurry
  13. bulb — for light
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. ruler — a monarch
  16. bulb — for light
  17. calf — of the leg
  18. foot — part of the body
  19. foot — the bottom
  20. wind — moving air
  21. rush — a thrill
  22. present — there
  23. band — a rubber band
  24. calf — a young animal

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