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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. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  2. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  3. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  4. I've got to change the light ________________.
  5. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  6. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  7. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  8. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  9. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  10. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  11. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  12. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  13. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  14. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. Did you ________________ the meat?
  17. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  18. We're on a ________________ here.
  19. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  20. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  21. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  22. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  23. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  24. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — to tease
  2. kid — child
  3. leaves — to go away
  4. bulb — for light
  5. season — in sport
  6. tear — to rip
  7. roll — a list
  8. tear — from crying
  9. bulb — of a plant
  10. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  11. tear — from crying
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. leaves — lets stay
  14. season — of the year
  15. bulb — for light
  16. season — to add flavour
  17. object — to protest
  18. roll — on a roll
  19. leaves — of a tree
  20. calf — of the leg
  21. object — a thing
  22. object — an aim
  23. roll — a cake
  24. calf — a young animal

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