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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. I've got to change the light ________________.
  2. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  3. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  6. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  7. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  8. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  9. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  10. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  11. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  12. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  13. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  14. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  15. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  16. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  17. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  18. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  19. Have you met the new head ________________?
  20. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  21. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  22. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  23. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  24. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. staff — a stick
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. bulb — for light
  5. calf — of the leg
  6. board — a flat piece
  7. fan — to cool the air
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. file — a line of people
  12. board — a committee
  13. coach — pulled by horses
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. bulb — of a plant
  17. staff — employees
  18. file — a tool
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. file — a document
  21. board — to get on
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. staff — employees
  24. racket — a loud noise

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