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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'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  2. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  3. The ________________ took off on time.
  4. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  5. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  6. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  7. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  8. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  9. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  12. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  13. We're almost out of ________________.
  14. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  15. You don't need to ________________ round.
  16. Don't do anything ________________.
  17. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  18. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  19. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  20. The light ________________ burned out.
  21. My father caught me by the ________________.
  22. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  23. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  24. He had ________________ pain while walking.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. bulb — of a plant
  3. plane — an aircraft
  4. arm — a part of something
  5. rash — a series
  6. plane — in geometry
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. row — a line
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. bulb — for light
  11. rash — on the skin
  12. pop — music
  13. pop — soda
  14. row — to paddle
  15. pop — to visit
  16. rash — hasty
  17. safe — a strongbox
  18. plane — a tool
  19. row — a quarrel
  20. bulb — for light
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. calf — of the leg

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