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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. The light ________________ burned out.
  2. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  3. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  4. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  5. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  6. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  7. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  8. I've got to change the light ________________.
  9. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  10. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  11. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  12. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  13. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  14. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  15. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  16. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  17. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  18. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  19. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  20. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  21. Did you ________________ the meat?
  22. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  23. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  24. This piece is in a major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. staff — employees
  3. calf — of the leg
  4. firm — decided
  5. squash — the vegetable
  6. wind — moving air
  7. bulb — of a plant
  8. bulb — for light
  9. key — for a lock
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. staff — a stick
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. firm — a company
  14. staff — employees
  15. season — of the year
  16. wind — moving air
  17. squash — the sport
  18. season — in sport
  19. wind — to turn a key
  20. key — the most important part
  21. season — to add flavour
  22. firm — steady
  23. squash — to crush
  24. key — in music

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