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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. I've got to change the light ________________.
  2. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  3. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  4. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  5. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  6. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  7. The light ________________ burned out.
  8. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  9. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  10. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  11. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  12. The King held a masked ________________.
  13. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  14. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  15. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  16. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  17. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  18. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  19. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  20. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  21. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  22. It's one o'clock ________________.
  23. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  24. Is it ________________ for us to be here?

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. degree — temperature
  3. stem — of a plant
  4. degree — from a university
  5. sharp — with an edge
  6. calf — of the leg
  7. bulb — for light
  8. ball — a great time
  9. ball — a round shape
  10. stem — a stem cell
  11. sharp — clever
  12. ball — a dance
  13. bulb — of a plant
  14. mine — an explosive
  15. mine — for digging
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. stem — to come from
  18. degree — an amount
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. safe — a strongbox
  21. mine — belonging to me
  22. sharp — exactly
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. safe — out of danger

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