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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: date · calf · present · craft · fan · bat · bulb · firm

  1. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  2. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  3. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  4. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  5. The light ________________ burned out.
  6. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  7. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  8. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  9. I've got to change the light ________________.
  10. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  11. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  12. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  13. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  14. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  15. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  16. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  17. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  18. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  19. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  20. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  21. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  22. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  23. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  24. Have you settled on a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. bat — the animal
  2. present — there
  3. firm — decided
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. bulb — for light
  6. firm — a company
  7. craft — boats
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. bulb — for light
  10. craft — a handicraft
  11. craft — a skill
  12. bat — for baseball
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. firm — steady
  15. present — a gift
  16. present — the time now
  17. bat — in an idiom
  18. bulb — of a plant
  19. fan — to cool the air
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. date — the fruit
  22. calf — of the leg
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. date — on the calendar

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