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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. False peace will not ________________.
  2. I'll be taking the ________________.
  3. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  4. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  5. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  6. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  7. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  8. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  9. I've got to change the light ________________.
  10. The light ________________ burned out.
  11. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  12. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  13. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  14. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  15. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  16. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  17. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  18. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  19. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  20. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  21. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  22. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  23. How do you ________________ your surname?
  24. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.

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

Answer key

  1. last — to go on
  2. tube — the underground
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. tube — a container
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. last — final
  7. mouse — for a computer
  8. last — finally
  9. bulb — for light
  10. bulb — for light
  11. lean — to rest against
  12. lean — thin
  13. calf — of the leg
  14. bulb — of a plant
  15. spell — magic
  16. deal — a big deal
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. spell — a short time
  19. lean — to bend
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. tube — in a tire
  22. deal — an agreement
  23. spell — letters
  24. deal — to handle

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