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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 have a corn on my right ________________.
  2. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  3. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  4. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  5. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  6. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  7. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  8. Don't do anything ________________.
  9. The light ________________ burned out.
  10. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  11. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  12. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  13. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  14. I've got to change the light ________________.
  15. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  16. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  17. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  18. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  19. Did you ________________ the meat?
  20. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  21. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  22. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  23. False peace will not ________________.
  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. foot — part of the body
  2. file — a document
  3. season — of the year
  4. calf — of the leg
  5. file — a line of people
  6. bulb — of a plant
  7. last — finally
  8. rash — hasty
  9. bulb — for light
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. club — a group
  12. foot — a measure
  13. club — for golf
  14. bulb — for light
  15. foot — the bottom
  16. rash — a series
  17. file — a tool
  18. rash — on the skin
  19. season — to add flavour
  20. season — in sport
  21. last — final
  22. club — for dancing
  23. last — to go on
  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