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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. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  2. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  3. The light ________________ burned out.
  4. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  5. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  6. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  7. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  8. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  9. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  10. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  11. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  12. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  13. The ________________ went through the wall.
  14. Have you settled on a ________________?
  15. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  16. When was this ________________ built?
  17. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  18. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  19. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  20. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  21. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  22. I've got to change the light ________________.
  23. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  24. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.

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

Answer key

  1. date — the fruit
  2. bulb — of a plant
  3. bulb — for light
  4. snap — to speak sharply
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. snap — to click
  8. bowl — a football final
  9. leaves — of a tree
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. leaves — to go away
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. bowl — to roll
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. leaves — lets stay
  18. snap — to snap out of it
  19. bowl — a dish
  20. nail — on a finger
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. bulb — for light
  23. calf — of the leg
  24. temple — side of the head

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