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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. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  3. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  4. When will it ________________ you to start?
  5. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  6. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  7. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  8. I've got to change the light ________________.
  9. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  10. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  11. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  12. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  13. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  14. The light ________________ burned out.
  15. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  16. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  17. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  18. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  19. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  20. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  21. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  22. David sat on the ________________.
  23. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  24. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — of a plant
  2. content — the amount
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. suit — to fit
  5. content — videos and posts
  6. bat — for baseball
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. bulb — for light
  9. swing — in golf
  10. suit — clothes
  11. swing — music
  12. suit — in cards
  13. snap — to speak sharply
  14. bulb — for light
  15. content — happy
  16. shower — a meteor shower
  17. shower — to wash
  18. snap — to click
  19. calf — of the leg
  20. shower — rain
  21. snap — to snap out of it
  22. swing — to play on
  23. bat — the animal
  24. bat — in an idiom

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