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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 120 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: object · bulb · fine · calf · club · mark · lean · leaves

  1. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  2. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  3. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  4. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  5. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  6. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  7. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  8. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  9. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  10. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  11. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  12. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  13. The light ________________ burned out.
  14. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  15. I've got to change the light ________________.
  16. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  17. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  18. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  19. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  20. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  21. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  22. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  23. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  24. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — high quality
  2. mark — a grade
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. lean — to rest against
  5. fine — all right
  6. fine — a penalty
  7. mark — to pay attention
  8. club — for dancing
  9. object — to protest
  10. calf — of the leg
  11. leaves — to go away
  12. leaves — of a tree
  13. bulb — for light
  14. lean — to bend
  15. bulb — for light
  16. bulb — of a plant
  17. mark — a trace
  18. club — for golf
  19. object — an aim
  20. lean — thin
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. leaves — lets stay
  23. club — a group
  24. object — a thing

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