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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 124 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. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  3. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  4. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  5. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  6. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  7. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  8. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  9. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  10. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  11. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  12. The light ________________ burned out.
  13. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  14. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  15. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  16. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  17. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  18. I've got to change the light ________________.
  19. Have you found your soul ________________?
  20. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  21. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  22. I can't ________________ this cold.
  23. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  24. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. toast — a drink to someone
  4. snap — to click
  5. calf — of the leg
  6. mate — a friend
  7. snap — to speak sharply
  8. bulb — of a plant
  9. stand — for spectators
  10. stand — on your feet
  11. toast — the most admired
  12. bulb — for light
  13. bat — for baseball
  14. snap — to snap out of it
  15. toast — bread
  16. bat — the animal
  17. track — a path
  18. bulb — for light
  19. mate — a partner
  20. track — to keep track
  21. mate — to breed
  22. stand — to bear
  23. bat — in an idiom
  24. track — a song

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