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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've got to change the light ________________.
  2. The ________________ went through the wall.
  3. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  4. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  5. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  6. Did you ________________ the meat?
  7. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  8. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  9. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  10. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  11. The light ________________ burned out.
  12. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  13. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  14. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  15. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  16. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  17. That was ________________ to happen.
  18. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  19. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  20. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  21. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  22. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  23. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  24. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. root — of a word
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. hide — animal skin
  6. season — to add flavour
  7. bulb — of a plant
  8. fine — all right
  9. bound — obliged
  10. fine — high quality
  11. bulb — for light
  12. fine — a penalty
  13. season — of the year
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. root — the cause
  16. calf — of the leg
  17. bound — certain
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. bound — tied together
  20. root — of a plant
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. nail — on a finger
  23. season — in sport
  24. calf — a young animal

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