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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. I've got to change the light ________________.
  2. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  3. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  4. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  5. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  6. The light ________________ burned out.
  7. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  8. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  9. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  10. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  11. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  12. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  13. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  14. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  15. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  16. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  17. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  18. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  19. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  20. The ________________ went through the wall.
  21. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  22. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  23. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  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. bulb — for light
  2. pit — in a race
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. pound — for dogs
  5. pound — a weight
  6. bulb — for light
  7. calf — of the leg
  8. file — a tool
  9. straw — to clutch at straws
  10. bulb — of a plant
  11. pit — a fruit stone
  12. file — a line of people
  13. nail — on a finger
  14. branch — of a tree
  15. pound — to hit hard
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. straw — dry grass
  18. straw — a straw man
  19. branch — of a bank
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. pit — a hole
  22. branch — a division
  23. file — a document
  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