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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 124 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 giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  2. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  3. The light ________________ burned out.
  4. I'll be taking the ________________.
  5. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  6. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  7. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  8. That must've been a ________________.
  9. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  10. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  11. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  12. That was ________________ to happen.
  13. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  14. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  15. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  16. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  17. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  18. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  19. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  20. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  21. I've got to change the light ________________.
  22. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  23. Where did you ________________ them?
  24. The water is too ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. cold — the Cold War
  3. bulb — for light
  4. tube — the underground
  5. rush — hurry
  6. bulb — of a plant
  7. staff — employees
  8. rush — a thrill
  9. mug — a cup
  10. bound — tied together
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. bound — certain
  13. calf — of the leg
  14. mug — a face
  15. tube — in a tire
  16. cold — an illness
  17. bound — obliged
  18. staff — a stick
  19. staff — employees
  20. tube — a container
  21. bulb — for light
  22. rush — to hurry
  23. mug — to rob
  24. cold — not warm

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