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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 giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  2. The light ________________ burned out.
  3. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  4. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  5. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  6. That was a fun ________________.
  7. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  8. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  9. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  10. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  11. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  12. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  13. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  14. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  15. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  16. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  17. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  18. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  19. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  20. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  21. I've got to change the light ________________.
  22. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  23. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  24. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. bulb — for light
  3. prune — the fruit
  4. bulb — of a plant
  5. safe — a strongbox
  6. game — a match
  7. game — wild animals
  8. spring — a coil
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. lie — to recline
  11. mine — belonging to me
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. mine — an explosive
  14. spring — of water
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. game — a kind of play
  17. calf — of the leg
  18. prune — to trim
  19. spring — the season
  20. mine — for digging
  21. bulb — for light
  22. prune — to trim
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. lie — an untruth

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