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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. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  2. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  3. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  4. False peace will not ________________.
  5. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  6. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  7. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  8. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  9. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  10. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  11. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  12. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  13. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  14. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  15. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  16. I've got to change the light ________________.
  17. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  18. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  19. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  20. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  21. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  22. The light ________________ burned out.
  23. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  24. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — of a plant
  2. cap — of ice
  3. cue — a hint
  4. last — to go on
  5. calf — of the leg
  6. cue — a signal
  7. wave — a sudden rise
  8. firm — steady
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. firm — a company
  12. last — finally
  13. last — final
  14. cap — a hat
  15. wave — with your hand
  16. bulb — for light
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. wave — of the sea
  19. firm — decided
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. perch — the fish
  22. bulb — for light
  23. cap — a lid
  24. cue — for pool

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