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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. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  2. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  3. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  4. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  5. The light ________________ burned out.
  6. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  7. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  8. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  9. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  10. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  11. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  12. Did you ________________ the meat?
  13. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  14. I've got to change the light ________________.
  15. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  16. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  17. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  18. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  19. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  20. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  21. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  22. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  23. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  24. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — of a plant
  2. season — of the year
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. calf — of the leg
  5. bulb — for light
  6. chair — to sit on
  7. race — a contest
  8. wave — a sudden rise
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. hide — animal skin
  11. bowl — a dish
  12. season — to add flavour
  13. chair — a leader
  14. bulb — for light
  15. race — the arms race
  16. wave — of the sea
  17. chair — a professorship
  18. race — humankind
  19. bowl — to roll
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. season — in sport
  22. wave — with your hand
  23. bowl — a football final
  24. calf — a young animal

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