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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. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  2. My mare is ________________ in color.
  3. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  4. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  7. This piece is in a major ________________.
  8. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  9. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  10. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  11. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  12. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  13. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  14. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  15. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  16. That must've been a ________________.
  17. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  18. That was ________________ to happen.
  19. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  20. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  21. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  22. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  23. The light ________________ burned out.
  24. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — to hurry
  2. bay — a horse colour
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. bulb — for light
  6. bulb — of a plant
  7. key — in music
  8. capital — a city
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. rush — hurry
  11. capital — money
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. key — for a lock
  14. ruler — a monarch
  15. key — the most important part
  16. rush — a thrill
  17. calf — of the leg
  18. bound — certain
  19. bound — tied together
  20. bound — obliged
  21. capital — a big letter
  22. bay — a part of the sea
  23. bulb — for light
  24. bay — to keep at bay

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