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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 giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  2. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  3. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  4. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  5. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  6. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  7. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  8. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  9. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  10. The light ________________ burned out.
  11. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  12. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  13. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  14. You don't need to ________________ round.
  15. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  16. We're almost out of ________________.
  17. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  18. When are we going to ________________?
  19. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  20. I've got to change the light ________________.
  21. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  22. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  23. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  24. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. bulb — of a plant
  3. lean — to rest against
  4. land — ground
  5. board — to get on
  6. ruler — a monarch
  7. lean — thin
  8. land — a country
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. bulb — for light
  11. wind — moving air
  12. calf — of the leg
  13. board — a committee
  14. pop — to visit
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. pop — soda
  17. wind — moving air
  18. land — to come down
  19. wind — to turn a key
  20. bulb — for light
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. board — a flat piece
  23. pop — music
  24. lean — to bend

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