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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. I've got to change the light ________________.
  2. The light ________________ burned out.
  3. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  4. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  5. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  6. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  7. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  8. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  9. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  10. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  11. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  12. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  13. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  14. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  15. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  16. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  17. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  18. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  19. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  20. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  21. There's no middle ________________.
  22. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  23. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  24. He was locked up in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. bulb — for light
  3. chip — to eat
  4. bulb — of a plant
  5. ground — the earth
  6. calf — of the leg
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. wake — to stop sleeping
  9. chip — in a computer
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. cell — a phone
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. present — the time now
  14. ground — crushed
  15. fan — to cool the air
  16. wake — before a funeral
  17. wake — a trail
  18. chip — for betting
  19. present — a gift
  20. present — there
  21. ground — a position
  22. cell — in biology
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. cell — in a prison

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