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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: straw · suit · bat · bulb · calf · spell · date · rock

  1. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  2. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  3. How do you ________________ your surname?
  4. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  5. The light ________________ burned out.
  6. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  7. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  8. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  9. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  10. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  11. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  12. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  13. When will it ________________ you to start?
  14. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  15. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  16. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  17. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  18. I've got to change the light ________________.
  19. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  20. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  21. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  22. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  23. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  24. Have you settled on a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. bat — for baseball
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. spell — letters
  4. bulb — of a plant
  5. bulb — for light
  6. rock — to move gently
  7. suit — clothes
  8. suit — in cards
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. spell — magic
  11. straw — to clutch at straws
  12. spell — a short time
  13. suit — to fit
  14. calf — of the leg
  15. straw — a straw man
  16. bat — in an idiom
  17. bat — the animal
  18. bulb — for light
  19. straw — dry grass
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. rock — music
  22. date — the fruit
  23. rock — a stone
  24. date — on the calendar

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