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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. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  2. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  3. The light ________________ burned out.
  4. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  5. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  6. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  7. I've got to change the light ________________.
  8. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  9. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  10. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  11. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  12. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  13. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  14. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  15. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  16. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  17. Did you ________________ the meat?
  18. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  19. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  20. The King held a masked ________________.
  21. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  22. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  23. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  24. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a round shape
  2. firm — decided
  3. bulb — for light
  4. wake — a trail
  5. face — part of the head
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. bulb — for light
  8. firm — a company
  9. season — of the year
  10. season — in sport
  11. mine — for digging
  12. wake — before a funeral
  13. face — to point toward
  14. bulb — of a plant
  15. mine — an explosive
  16. calf — of the leg
  17. season — to add flavour
  18. face — to confront
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. ball — a dance
  21. firm — steady
  22. mine — belonging to me
  23. ball — a great time
  24. wake — to stop sleeping

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