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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: rest · nail · bay · bulb · foot · ground · jam · calf

  1. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  2. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  3. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  4. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. My mare is ________________ in color.
  7. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  8. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  9. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  10. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  11. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  12. The ________________ went through the wall.
  13. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  14. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  15. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  16. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  17. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  18. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  19. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  20. The light ________________ burned out.
  21. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  22. There's no middle ________________.
  23. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  24. I would like to have a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. foot — the bottom
  4. bulb — of a plant
  5. bulb — for light
  6. bay — a horse colour
  7. jam — a tight spot
  8. jam — to spread on bread
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. ground — crushed
  11. calf — of the leg
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. rest — what's left
  14. nail — on a finger
  15. bay — to keep at bay
  16. foot — part of the body
  17. bay — a part of the sea
  18. jam — in traffic
  19. foot — a measure
  20. bulb — for light
  21. rest — what's left
  22. ground — a position
  23. ground — the earth
  24. rest — a break

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