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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: tear · calf · bear · arm · march · degree · bulb · rock

  1. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  2. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  3. The light ________________ burned out.
  4. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  5. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  6. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  7. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  8. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  9. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  10. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  11. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  12. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  13. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  14. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  15. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  16. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  17. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  18. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  19. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  20. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  21. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  22. My father caught me by the ________________.
  23. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  24. I've got to change the light ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. bear — to put up with
  3. bulb — for light
  4. march — music
  5. tear — from crying
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. rock — to move gently
  8. degree — an amount
  9. march — the month
  10. calf — of the leg
  11. rock — music
  12. bear — the animal
  13. degree — from a university
  14. march — the month
  15. tear — from crying
  16. tear — to rip
  17. degree — temperature
  18. arm — a part of something
  19. bulb — of a plant
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. rock — a stone
  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