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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 did all she could to defend her ________________.
  2. The light ________________ burned out.
  3. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  4. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  5. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  6. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  7. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  8. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  9. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  10. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  11. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  12. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  13. When are we going to ________________?
  14. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  15. Have you found your soul ________________?
  16. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  17. That was a fun ________________.
  18. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  19. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  20. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  21. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  22. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  23. I've got to change the light ________________.
  24. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. bulb — for light
  3. pass — to succeed
  4. land — a country
  5. game — a kind of play
  6. lash — to lash out
  7. pass — to spend time
  8. pass — a permit
  9. mate — a friend
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. lash — an eyelash
  12. lash — a whip stroke
  13. land — to come down
  14. game — wild animals
  15. mate — a partner
  16. land — ground
  17. game — a match
  18. mate — to breed
  19. vault — a safe
  20. bulb — of a plant
  21. calf — of the leg
  22. vault — an arched ceiling
  23. bulb — for light
  24. vault — in gymnastics

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