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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 put the ________________ back on the pen?
  2. The light ________________ burned out.
  3. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  4. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  5. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  6. The ________________ took off on time.
  7. I've got to change the light ________________.
  8. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  9. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  10. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  11. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  12. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  13. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  14. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  15. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  16. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  17. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  18. There's no middle ________________.
  19. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  20. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  21. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  22. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  23. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  24. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a lid
  2. bulb — for light
  3. object — a thing
  4. calf — of the leg
  5. drill — the tool
  6. plane — an aircraft
  7. bulb — for light
  8. ground — crushed
  9. drill — army training
  10. bat — in an idiom
  11. plane — in geometry
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. bat — for baseball
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. cap — of ice
  16. plane — a tool
  17. bat — the animal
  18. ground — a position
  19. cap — a hat
  20. drill — a practice
  21. object — to protest
  22. bulb — of a plant
  23. ground — the earth
  24. object — an aim

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