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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. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  2. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  3. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  4. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  5. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  6. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  7. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  8. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  9. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  10. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  11. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  12. I've got to change the light ________________.
  13. The King held a masked ________________.
  14. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  15. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  16. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  17. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  18. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  19. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  20. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  21. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  22. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  23. The light ________________ burned out.
  24. Biology is a ________________ of science.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — of a plant
  2. ball — a round shape
  3. branch — of a tree
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. ball — a great time
  6. root — of a plant
  7. chip — for betting
  8. spring — a coil
  9. root — the cause
  10. branch — of a bank
  11. spring — of water
  12. bulb — for light
  13. ball — a dance
  14. chip — in a computer
  15. root — of a word
  16. calf — of the leg
  17. vault — an arched ceiling
  18. chip — to eat
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. vault — a safe
  21. spring — the season
  22. vault — in gymnastics
  23. bulb — for light
  24. branch — a division

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