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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 116 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 train ________________ at six o'clock.
  2. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  3. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  4. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  5. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  6. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  7. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  8. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  9. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  10. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  11. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  12. The light ________________ burned out.
  13. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  14. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  15. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  16. I've got to change the light ________________.
  17. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  18. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  19. My mare is ________________ in color.
  20. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  21. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  22. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  23. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  24. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — to go away
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. shower — a meteor shower
  4. lash — to lash out
  5. leaves — lets stay
  6. leaves — of a tree
  7. lash — an eyelash
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. bulb — of a plant
  10. cap — a lid
  11. shower — to wash
  12. bulb — for light
  13. race — a contest
  14. bay — a part of the sea
  15. lash — a whip stroke
  16. bulb — for light
  17. cap — a hat
  18. bay — to keep at bay
  19. bay — a horse colour
  20. race — humankind
  21. calf — of the leg
  22. shower — rain
  23. cap — of ice
  24. race — the arms race

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