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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. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  2. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  5. The ________________ went through the wall.
  6. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  7. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  8. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  9. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  10. The light ________________ burned out.
  11. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  12. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  13. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  14. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  15. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  16. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  17. I've got to change the light ________________.
  18. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  19. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  20. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  21. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  22. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  23. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  24. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — of the leg
  2. kid — to tease
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. tear — to rip
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. deal — an agreement
  7. current — electric
  8. dip — to dunk
  9. tear — from crying
  10. bulb — for light
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. deal — to handle
  13. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. deal — a big deal
  16. current — happening now
  17. bulb — for light
  18. kid — child
  19. tear — from crying
  20. dip — a sauce
  21. dip — to sink
  22. current — of water
  23. nail — on a finger
  24. nail — for a hammer

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