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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. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  2. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  3. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  4. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  5. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  6. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  7. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  8. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  9. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  10. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  11. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  12. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  13. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  14. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  15. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  16. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  17. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  18. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  19. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  20. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  21. I've got to change the light ________________.
  22. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  23. The light ________________ burned out.
  24. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — of the leg
  2. bulb — of a plant
  3. file — a document
  4. pitch — a sales talk
  5. leaves — lets stay
  6. hand — part of the body
  7. pitch — completely
  8. file — a line of people
  9. hand — help
  10. file — a tool
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. pound — a weight
  13. leaves — to go away
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. leaves — of a tree
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. pitch — a sports field
  19. pound — for dogs
  20. hand — in cards
  21. bulb — for light
  22. perch — the fish
  23. bulb — for light
  24. pound — to hit hard

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