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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. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  5. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  6. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  7. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  8. That must've been a ________________.
  9. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  10. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  11. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  12. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  13. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  14. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  15. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  16. This piece is in a major ________________.
  17. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  18. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  19. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  20. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  21. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  22. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  23. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  24. What was your ________________ profit last year?

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. bulb — for light
  4. key — the most important part
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. cap — of ice
  7. rush — to hurry
  8. rush — a thrill
  9. key — for a lock
  10. cap — a hat
  11. deal — an agreement
  12. calf — of the leg
  13. bank — of a river
  14. net — for catching
  15. cap — a lid
  16. key — in music
  17. bank — for money
  18. deal — to handle
  19. bank — for money
  20. bulb — of a plant
  21. rush — hurry
  22. deal — a big deal
  23. net — in sport
  24. net — after costs

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