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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 120 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 giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  2. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  3. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  4. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  5. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  6. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  7. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  8. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  9. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  10. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  11. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  12. I've got to change the light ________________.
  13. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  14. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  15. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  16. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  17. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  18. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  19. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  20. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  21. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  22. The light ________________ burned out.
  23. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  24. I got dealt a bad ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. safe — a strongbox
  3. scale — for weighing
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. mark — a trace
  6. hand — part of the body
  7. hand — help
  8. bulb — of a plant
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. lean — to bend
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. bulb — for light
  13. net — after costs
  14. scale — in music
  15. mark — a grade
  16. lean — thin
  17. lean — to rest against
  18. mark — to pay attention
  19. net — for catching
  20. scale — size or range
  21. net — in sport
  22. bulb — for light
  23. calf — of the leg
  24. hand — in cards

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