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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 116 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. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  2. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  5. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  6. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  7. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  8. That was ________________ to happen.
  9. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  10. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  11. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  12. False peace will not ________________.
  13. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  14. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  17. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  18. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  19. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  20. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  21. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  22. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  23. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  24. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — of a plant
  2. chair — to sit on
  3. bulb — for light
  4. spring — a coil
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. last — finally
  7. chair — a leader
  8. bound — certain
  9. kick — with a leg
  10. spring — of water
  11. spring — the season
  12. last — to go on
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. wind — moving air
  15. bulb — for light
  16. chair — a professorship
  17. calf — of the leg
  18. kick — in football
  19. bound — tied together
  20. kick — a thrill
  21. wind — to turn a key
  22. bound — obliged
  23. wind — moving air
  24. last — final

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