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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. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  2. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  3. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  4. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  5. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  6. I've got to change the light ________________.
  7. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  8. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  9. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  10. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  11. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  12. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  13. The light ________________ burned out.
  14. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  15. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  16. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  17. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  18. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  19. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  20. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  21. My father caught me by the ________________.
  22. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  23. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  24. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — high quality
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. toast — a drink to someone
  4. fine — a penalty
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. bulb — for light
  7. arm — a part of something
  8. branch — a division
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  11. toast — bread
  12. branch — of a bank
  13. bulb — for light
  14. fan — to cool the air
  15. toast — the most admired
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. bulb — of a plant
  18. kid — child
  19. calf — of the leg
  20. fine — all right
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. branch — of a tree
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. kid — to tease

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