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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: calf · wound · straw · bulb · face · leaves · sharp · cabinet

  1. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  2. What do you think of the new ________________?
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  7. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  8. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  9. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  10. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  11. It's one o'clock ________________.
  12. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  13. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  14. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  15. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  16. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  17. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  18. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  19. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  20. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  21. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  22. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  23. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  24. The light ________________ burned out.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. leaves — of a tree
  5. bulb — for light
  6. wound — an injury
  7. face — part of the head
  8. straw — a straw man
  9. leaves — to go away
  10. wound — past of 'wind'
  11. sharp — exactly
  12. leaves — lets stay
  13. face — to point toward
  14. calf — of the leg
  15. straw — dry grass
  16. face — to confront
  17. straw — to clutch at straws
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. cabinet — a cupboard
  20. sharp — with an edge
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. wound — an injury
  23. sharp — clever
  24. bulb — for light

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