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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 120 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: bulb · nail · mark · chair · leaves · bay · calf · content

  1. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  2. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  3. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  4. The ________________ went through the wall.
  5. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  6. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  7. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  8. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  9. The light ________________ burned out.
  10. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  11. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  12. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  13. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  14. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  15. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  16. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  17. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  18. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  19. I've got to change the light ________________.
  20. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  21. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  22. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  23. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  24. My mare is ________________ in color.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a leader
  2. leaves — of a tree
  3. mark — a grade
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. content — videos and posts
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. bulb — of a plant
  9. bulb — for light
  10. chair — a professorship
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. mark — to pay attention
  13. leaves — to go away
  14. content — the amount
  15. leaves — lets stay
  16. bay — to keep at bay
  17. mark — a trace
  18. content — happy
  19. bulb — for light
  20. calf — of the leg
  21. nail — on a finger
  22. chair — to sit on
  23. bay — a part of the sea
  24. bay — a horse colour

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