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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 124 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. I've got to change the light ________________.
  2. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  3. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  4. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  5. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  6. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  7. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  8. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  9. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  10. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  11. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  12. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  13. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  14. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  15. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  16. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  17. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  18. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  19. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  20. The ________________ took off on time.
  21. The light ________________ burned out.
  22. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  23. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  24. Have you settled on a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. date — the fruit
  3. toast — the most admired
  4. lean — to rest against
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. plane — in geometry
  7. plane — a tool
  8. lean — thin
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. calf — of the leg
  11. club — for dancing
  12. row — a line
  13. bulb — of a plant
  14. lean — to bend
  15. row — a quarrel
  16. toast — bread
  17. toast — a drink to someone
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. club — a group
  20. plane — an aircraft
  21. bulb — for light
  22. club — for golf
  23. row — to paddle
  24. date — on the calendar

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