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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
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: dip · bulb · straw · net · calf · mine · root · foot

  1. I've got to change the light ________________.
  2. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  3. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  4. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  5. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  6. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  7. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  8. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  9. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  10. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  11. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  12. The light ________________ burned out.
  13. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  14. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  15. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  16. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  17. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  18. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  19. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  20. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  21. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  22. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  23. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  24. What was your ________________ profit last year?

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. straw — a straw man
  4. dip — to dunk
  5. root — of a word
  6. foot — part of the body
  7. straw — to clutch at straws
  8. straw — dry grass
  9. mine — for digging
  10. dip — a sauce
  11. foot — a measure
  12. bulb — for light
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. net — for catching
  15. foot — the bottom
  16. mine — an explosive
  17. bulb — of a plant
  18. mine — belonging to me
  19. root — of a plant
  20. calf — of the leg
  21. net — in sport
  22. dip — to sink
  23. root — the cause
  24. net — after costs

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