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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 strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  2. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  3. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  4. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  5. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  6. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  7. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  8. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  9. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  10. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  11. That was ________________ to happen.
  12. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  13. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  14. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  17. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  18. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  19. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  20. I've got to change the light ________________.
  21. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  22. The water is too ________________.
  23. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  24. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. calf — of the leg
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. cold — the Cold War
  5. wind — to turn a key
  6. net — for catching
  7. bound — obliged
  8. wind — moving air
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. bulb — of a plant
  11. bound — certain
  12. net — in sport
  13. net — after costs
  14. mouse — for a computer
  15. bulb — for light
  16. cold — an illness
  17. lean — thin
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. bound — tied together
  20. bulb — for light
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. cold — not warm
  23. lean — to rest against
  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