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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 light ________________ burned out.
  2. Have you settled on a ________________?
  3. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  4. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  5. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  6. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  7. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  8. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  9. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  10. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  11. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  12. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  13. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  14. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  15. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  16. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  17. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  18. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  19. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  20. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  21. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  22. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  23. I've got to change the light ________________.
  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. bulb — for light
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  4. scale — for weighing
  5. toast — a drink to someone
  6. lean — to rest against
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. drill — a practice
  9. lean — to bend
  10. lean — thin
  11. scale — in music
  12. date — the fruit
  13. kid — child
  14. toast — bread
  15. kid — to tease
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. scale — size or range
  18. calf — of the leg
  19. drill — the tool
  20. toast — the most admired
  21. bulb — of a plant
  22. drill — army training
  23. bulb — for light
  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