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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. The light ________________ burned out.
  2. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  3. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  4. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  5. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  6. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  7. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  8. It's one o'clock ________________.
  9. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  10. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  11. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  12. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  13. I've got to change the light ________________.
  14. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  15. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  16. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  17. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  18. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  19. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  20. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  21. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  22. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  23. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  24. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. bear — the animal
  3. sharp — with an edge
  4. wake — a trail
  5. bear — to put up with
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. calf — of the leg
  8. sharp — exactly
  9. pit — a fruit stone
  10. pit — in a race
  11. degree — temperature
  12. branch — of a bank
  13. bulb — for light
  14. branch — of a tree
  15. bear — the animal
  16. degree — an amount
  17. sharp — clever
  18. bulb — of a plant
  19. pit — a hole
  20. wake — before a funeral
  21. degree — from a university
  22. branch — a division
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. wake — to stop sleeping

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