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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 116 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. We're almost out of ________________.
  2. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  3. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  4. I've got to change the light ________________.
  5. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  6. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  7. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  8. She's very handy with a ________________.
  9. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  10. You don't need to ________________ round.
  11. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  12. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  13. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  14. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  15. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  16. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  17. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  18. The light ________________ burned out.
  19. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  20. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  21. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  22. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  23. He works in a ________________ mill.
  24. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — soda
  2. pop — music
  3. calf — of the leg
  4. bulb — for light
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. branch — of a bank
  7. trunk — of a tree
  8. saw — the tool
  9. can — to be able to
  10. pop — to visit
  11. straw — to clutch at straws
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. trunk — of an elephant
  14. trunk — of a car
  15. can — a tin
  16. straw — a straw man
  17. straw — dry grass
  18. bulb — for light
  19. can — a tin
  20. branch — of a tree
  21. branch — a division
  22. saw — past of 'see'
  23. saw — the tool
  24. bulb — of a plant

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