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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 116 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: march · calf · sharp · suit · straw · lean · bulb · mark

  1. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  2. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  3. When will it ________________ you to start?
  4. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  5. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  6. I've got to change the light ________________.
  7. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  8. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  9. The light ________________ burned out.
  10. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  13. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  14. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  15. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  16. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  17. It's one o'clock ________________.
  18. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  19. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  20. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  21. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  22. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  23. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  24. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. suit — to fit
  4. mark — a trace
  5. suit — clothes
  6. bulb — for light
  7. sharp — clever
  8. straw — to clutch at straws
  9. bulb — for light
  10. sharp — with an edge
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. march — the month
  13. lean — to bend
  14. lean — thin
  15. mark — a grade
  16. march — music
  17. sharp — exactly
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. suit — in cards
  20. straw — dry grass
  21. calf — of the leg
  22. straw — a straw man
  23. bulb — of a plant
  24. lean — to rest against

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