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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. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  2. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  3. I can't ________________ this cold.
  4. I've got to change the light ________________.
  5. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  6. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  7. That was ________________ to happen.
  8. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  9. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  10. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  11. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  12. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  13. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  14. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  15. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  16. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  17. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  18. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  19. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  20. The light ________________ burned out.
  21. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  22. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  23. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  24. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. bound — obliged
  3. stand — to bear
  4. bulb — for light
  5. wind — moving air
  6. shower — a meteor shower
  7. bound — certain
  8. stand — for spectators
  9. shower — rain
  10. bound — tied together
  11. wind — to turn a key
  12. shower — to wash
  13. bulb — of a plant
  14. wind — moving air
  15. stand — on your feet
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. bass — low music
  18. cap — of ice
  19. bass — the instrument
  20. bulb — for light
  21. bass — the fish
  22. cap — a hat
  23. calf — of the leg
  24. cap — a lid

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