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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: leaves · calf · net · bulb · chair · nail · ground · bear

  1. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  2. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  5. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  6. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  7. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  8. There's no middle ________________.
  9. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  10. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  11. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  12. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  13. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  14. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  15. I've got to change the light ________________.
  16. The ________________ went through the wall.
  17. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  18. The light ________________ burned out.
  19. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  20. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  21. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  22. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  23. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  24. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — to sit on
  2. ground — crushed
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. nail — on a finger
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. chair — a professorship
  7. calf — of the leg
  8. ground — a position
  9. bear — the animal
  10. leaves — to go away
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. net — after costs
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. ground — the earth
  15. bulb — for light
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. chair — a leader
  18. bulb — for light
  19. bear — to put up with
  20. leaves — of a tree
  21. net — in sport
  22. net — for catching
  23. bear — the animal
  24. leaves — lets stay

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