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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. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  2. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  3. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  4. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  5. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  6. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  7. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  8. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  9. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  10. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  11. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  12. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  13. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  14. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  15. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  16. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  17. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  18. The tickets are free of ________________.
  19. I've got to change the light ________________.
  20. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  21. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  22. The light ________________ burned out.
  23. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  24. He had ________________ pain while walking.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — of a plant
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. charge — in control
  4. pound — for dogs
  5. root — of a plant
  6. root — of a word
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. mine — an explosive
  9. pound — a weight
  10. squash — the vegetable
  11. root — the cause
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. pound — to hit hard
  14. squash — the sport
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. squash — to crush
  17. mine — belonging to me
  18. charge — a price
  19. bulb — for light
  20. charge — electricity
  21. mine — for digging
  22. bulb — for light
  23. stick — to attach or keep to
  24. calf — of the leg

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