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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. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  2. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  3. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  4. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  5. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  6. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  7. The light ________________ burned out.
  8. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  9. I've got to change the light ________________.
  10. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  11. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  12. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  13. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  14. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  15. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  16. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  17. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  18. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  19. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  20. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  21. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  22. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  23. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  24. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — of a plant
  2. club — a group
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. clip — for paper
  5. lean — to rest against
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. bulb — for light
  8. root — of a plant
  9. bulb — for light
  10. lean — thin
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. jam — in traffic
  13. lean — to bend
  14. jam — a tight spot
  15. root — the cause
  16. mouse — for a computer
  17. root — of a word
  18. clip — a video
  19. jam — to spread on bread
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. calf — of the leg
  22. club — for golf
  23. clip — to cut
  24. club — for dancing

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