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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. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  2. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  3. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  4. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  5. The light ________________ burned out.
  6. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  7. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  8. The ________________ went through the wall.
  9. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  12. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  13. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  14. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  15. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  16. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  17. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  18. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  19. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  20. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  21. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  22. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  23. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  24. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — to cool the air
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. object — an aim
  5. bulb — for light
  6. cap — of ice
  7. mark — a grade
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. object — to protest
  10. bulb — for light
  11. mark — a trace
  12. nail — on a finger
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. calf — of the leg
  15. cap — a hat
  16. trunk — of a car
  17. object — a thing
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. cap — a lid
  20. trunk — of an elephant
  21. bulb — of a plant
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. mark — to pay attention
  24. trunk — of a tree

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