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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. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  2. He was locked up in a ________________.
  3. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  4. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  5. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  6. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  7. I've got to change the light ________________.
  8. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  9. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  10. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  11. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  12. The ________________ took off on time.
  13. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  14. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  15. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  16. The light ________________ burned out.
  17. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  18. Where did you ________________ them?
  19. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  20. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  21. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  22. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  23. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  24. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — a phone
  2. cell — in a prison
  3. straw — a straw man
  4. bulb — of a plant
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. mug — a cup
  7. bulb — for light
  8. calf — of the leg
  9. straw — dry grass
  10. straw — to clutch at straws
  11. spring — a coil
  12. plane — an aircraft
  13. root — of a word
  14. spring — the season
  15. plane — a tool
  16. bulb — for light
  17. mug — a face
  18. mug — to rob
  19. root — the cause
  20. cell — in biology
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. plane — in geometry
  23. root — of a plant
  24. spring — of water

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