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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: calf · bore · dip · date · bulb · pop · stem · rush

  1. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  2. The light ________________ burned out.
  3. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  4. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  5. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  6. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  7. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  8. I've got to change the light ________________.
  9. Have you settled on a ________________?
  10. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  11. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  12. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  13. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  14. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  15. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  16. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  17. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  18. You don't need to ________________ round.
  19. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  20. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  21. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  22. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  23. That must've been a ________________.
  24. We're almost out of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — of the leg
  2. bulb — for light
  3. dip — a sauce
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. bore — gave birth
  6. bulb — of a plant
  7. rush — hurry
  8. bulb — for light
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. stem — to come from
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. dip — to sink
  13. bore — to drill
  14. pop — music
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. stem — of a plant
  17. dip — to dunk
  18. pop — to visit
  19. bore — to tire
  20. date — the fruit
  21. rush — to hurry
  22. stem — a stem cell
  23. rush — a thrill
  24. pop — soda

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