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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 pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  2. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  3. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  4. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  5. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  6. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  7. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  8. That was a fun ________________.
  9. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  10. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  11. The light ________________ burned out.
  12. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  13. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  14. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  15. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  16. When was this ________________ built?
  17. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  18. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  19. Have you found your soul ________________?
  20. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  21. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  22. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  23. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  24. I've got to change the light ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. game — wild animals
  2. calf — of the leg
  3. mate — a friend
  4. game — a kind of play
  5. temple — side of the head
  6. bulb — of a plant
  7. foot — part of the body
  8. game — a match
  9. net — in sport
  10. mark — to pay attention
  11. bulb — for light
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. mate — to breed
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. mark — a trace
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. net — after costs
  18. foot — a measure
  19. mate — a partner
  20. net — for catching
  21. foot — the bottom
  22. mark — a grade
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. bulb — for light

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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