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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: mine · staff · perch · bat · snap · net · calf · bulb

  1. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  2. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  3. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  4. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  7. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  8. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  9. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  10. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  11. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  12. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  13. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  14. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  15. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  16. The light ________________ burned out.
  17. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  18. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  19. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  20. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  21. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  22. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  23. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  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. snap — to snap out of it
  2. bat — the animal
  3. snap — to speak sharply
  4. bat — in an idiom
  5. bulb — for light
  6. calf — of the leg
  7. net — for catching
  8. mine — for digging
  9. perch — the fish
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. net — after costs
  12. bulb — of a plant
  13. staff — employees
  14. bat — for baseball
  15. net — in sport
  16. bulb — for light
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. snap — to click
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. staff — a stick
  22. staff — employees
  23. mine — belonging to me
  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