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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 kitten curled into a ________________.
  2. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  3. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  4. He works in a ________________ mill.
  5. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  6. The light ________________ burned out.
  7. I've got to change the light ________________.
  8. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  9. This piece is in a major ________________.
  10. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  11. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  12. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  13. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  14. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  15. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  16. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  17. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  18. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  19. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  20. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  21. She's very handy with a ________________.
  22. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  23. The King held a masked ________________.
  24. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a round shape
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. saw — the tool
  5. bulb — of a plant
  6. bulb — for light
  7. bulb — for light
  8. saw — past of 'see'
  9. key — in music
  10. key — the most important part
  11. prune — the fruit
  12. ball — a great time
  13. march — the month
  14. prune — to trim
  15. trunk — of a car
  16. calf — of the leg
  17. trunk — of an elephant
  18. march — the month
  19. key — for a lock
  20. trunk — of a tree
  21. saw — the tool
  22. prune — to trim
  23. ball — a dance
  24. march — music

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