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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. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  2. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  3. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  4. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  5. That was a fun ________________.
  6. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  7. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  8. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  9. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  10. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  11. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  12. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  13. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  14. The light ________________ burned out.
  15. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  16. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  17. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  18. I've got to change the light ________________.
  19. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  20. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  21. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  22. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  23. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  24. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — lets stay
  2. kick — with a leg
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. lean — to bend
  5. game — a match
  6. game — a kind of play
  7. wake — before a funeral
  8. band — a rubber band
  9. wake — a trail
  10. wake — to stop sleeping
  11. calf — of the leg
  12. band — a ring
  13. lean — thin
  14. bulb — for light
  15. lean — to rest against
  16. band — a music group
  17. leaves — to go away
  18. bulb — for light
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. bulb — of a plant
  21. kick — in football
  22. leaves — of a tree
  23. kick — a thrill
  24. game — wild animals

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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