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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. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  3. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  4. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  5. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  6. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  7. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  8. We're on a ________________ here.
  9. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  10. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  11. I've got to change the light ________________.
  12. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  13. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  14. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  15. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  16. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  17. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  18. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  19. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  20. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  21. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  22. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  23. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  24. The light ________________ burned out.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. calf — of the leg
  3. bowl — a dish
  4. bowl — a football final
  5. bowl — to roll
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. fork — a garden tool
  8. roll — on a roll
  9. fan — to cool the air
  10. roll — a list
  11. bulb — for light
  12. rest — what's left
  13. roll — a cake
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. pound — a weight
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. fork — in a road
  18. pound — for dogs
  19. pound — to hit hard
  20. rest — what's left
  21. fork — to eat with
  22. rest — a break
  23. bulb — of a plant
  24. bulb — for light

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