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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. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  2. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  3. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  4. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  5. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  6. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  7. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  8. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  9. The light ________________ burned out.
  10. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  11. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  12. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  13. I've got to change the light ________________.
  14. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  15. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  16. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  17. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  18. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  19. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  20. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  21. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  22. Did you ________________ the meat?
  23. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  24. A black ________________ roamed the forest.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. lie — to recline
  3. bowl — to roll
  4. bowl — a football final
  5. bear — the animal
  6. bear — to put up with
  7. pit — in a race
  8. bulb — of a plant
  9. bulb — for light
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. season — in sport
  12. pit — a fruit stone
  13. bulb — for light
  14. trunk — of a car
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. trunk — of an elephant
  18. season — of the year
  19. calf — of the leg
  20. trunk — of a tree
  21. bowl — a dish
  22. season — to add flavour
  23. pit — a hole
  24. bear — the 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