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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. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  2. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. Have you found your soul ________________?
  5. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  6. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  7. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  8. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  9. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  10. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  11. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  12. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  13. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  14. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  17. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  18. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  19. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  20. He was locked up in a ________________.
  21. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  22. False peace will not ________________.
  23. This piece is in a major ________________.
  24. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — to roll
  2. key — for a lock
  3. bulb — for light
  4. mate — a partner
  5. bowl — a dish
  6. mate — to breed
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. calf — of the leg
  9. last — finally
  10. bulb — of a plant
  11. last — final
  12. firm — steady
  13. firm — a company
  14. key — the most important part
  15. bulb — for light
  16. bowl — a football final
  17. cell — in biology
  18. mate — a friend
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. cell — in a prison
  21. firm — decided
  22. last — to go on
  23. key — in music
  24. cell — a phone

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