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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. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  2. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  3. The King held a masked ________________.
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  6. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  7. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  10. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  11. That must've been a ________________.
  12. I've got to change the light ________________.
  13. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  14. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  15. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  16. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  17. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  18. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  19. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  20. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  21. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  22. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  23. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  24. He was blown up by a land ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. mine — for digging
  3. ball — a dance
  4. bulb — for light
  5. rush — hurry
  6. ball — a round shape
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. snap — to click
  10. snap — to snap out of it
  11. rush — a thrill
  12. bulb — for light
  13. ball — a great time
  14. bulb — of a plant
  15. rush — to hurry
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. hide — animal skin
  18. snap — to speak sharply
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. mine — belonging to me
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. calf — of the leg
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. mine — an explosive

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