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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 120 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. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  2. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  3. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  4. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  5. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  6. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  7. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  8. I've got to change the light ________________.
  9. There's no middle ________________.
  10. The light ________________ burned out.
  11. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  12. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  13. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  14. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  17. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  18. My father caught me by the ________________.
  19. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  20. It's one o'clock ________________.
  21. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  22. That must've been a ________________.
  23. That was a fun ________________.
  24. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — of a plant
  2. arm — a part of something
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. calf — of the leg
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. game — wild animals
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. bulb — for light
  9. ground — a position
  10. bulb — for light
  11. ground — crushed
  12. sharp — with an edge
  13. kid — to tease
  14. rush — to hurry
  15. rush — hurry
  16. kid — child
  17. ground — the earth
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. game — a kind of play
  20. sharp — exactly
  21. sharp — clever
  22. rush — a thrill
  23. game — a match
  24. kid — young goat (kid gloves)

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