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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.

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: wound · stand · calf · spell · lean · kid · chip · bulb

  1. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  2. The light ________________ burned out.
  3. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  4. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  5. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  6. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  7. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  8. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  9. I've got to change the light ________________.
  10. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  11. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  12. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  13. How do you ________________ your surname?
  14. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  15. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  16. I can't ________________ this cold.
  17. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  18. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  19. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  20. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  21. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  22. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  23. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  24. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — on your feet
  2. bulb — for light
  3. lean — to bend
  4. wound — past of 'wind'
  5. chip — to eat
  6. lean — to rest against
  7. kid — child
  8. wound — an injury
  9. bulb — for light
  10. kid — to tease
  11. lean — thin
  12. calf — of the leg
  13. spell — letters
  14. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  15. wound — an injury
  16. stand — to bear
  17. spell — a short time
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. stand — for spectators
  20. spell — magic
  21. chip — for betting
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. chip — in a computer
  24. bulb — of a plant

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