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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 ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  2. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  5. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  6. The tickets are free of ________________.
  7. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  8. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  9. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  10. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  11. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  12. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  13. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  14. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  17. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  18. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  19. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  20. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  21. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  22. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  23. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  24. I've got to change the light ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. snap — to click
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. file — a line of people
  6. charge — a price
  7. foot — a measure
  8. file — a document
  9. file — a tool
  10. charge — electricity
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. charge — in control
  13. rest — what's left
  14. foot — part of the body
  15. bulb — for light
  16. content — happy
  17. foot — the bottom
  18. content — videos and posts
  19. snap — to snap out of it
  20. rest — a break
  21. content — the amount
  22. calf — of the leg
  23. snap — to speak sharply
  24. bulb — for light

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