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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. Where did you ________________ them?
  2. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  3. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  4. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  5. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  6. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  7. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  8. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  9. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  10. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  11. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  12. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  13. The light ________________ burned out.
  14. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  15. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  16. I've got to change the light ________________.
  17. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  18. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  19. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  20. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  21. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  22. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  23. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  24. He had ________________ pain while walking.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — to rob
  2. cap — of ice
  3. wind — to turn a key
  4. bulb — of a plant
  5. mug — a cup
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. straw — a straw man
  8. leaves — of a tree
  9. straw — dry grass
  10. leaves — lets stay
  11. kick — a thrill
  12. kick — in football
  13. bulb — for light
  14. straw — to clutch at straws
  15. wind — moving air
  16. bulb — for light
  17. cap — a hat
  18. wind — moving air
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. mug — a face
  21. cap — a lid
  22. kick — with a leg
  23. leaves — to go away
  24. calf — of the leg

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