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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. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  2. The light ________________ burned out.
  3. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  4. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  5. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  6. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  7. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  8. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  9. I've got to change the light ________________.
  10. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  11. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  12. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  13. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  14. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  15. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  16. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  17. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  18. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  19. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  20. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  21. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  22. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  23. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  24. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — all right
  2. bulb — for light
  3. shower — to wash
  4. deal — to handle
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. shower — a meteor shower
  7. deal — an agreement
  8. fine — a penalty
  9. bulb — for light
  10. pound — to hit hard
  11. deal — a big deal
  12. can — to be able to
  13. calf — of the leg
  14. can — a tin
  15. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  16. kid — child
  17. fine — high quality
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. shower — rain
  20. kid — to tease
  21. bulb — of a plant
  22. pound — a weight
  23. can — a tin
  24. pound — for dogs

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