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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: face · bulb · pop · fall · net · perch · calf · bank

  1. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  2. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  3. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  4. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  5. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  6. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  7. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  10. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  11. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  12. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  13. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  14. You don't need to ________________ round.
  15. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  16. I've got to change the light ________________.
  17. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  18. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  19. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  20. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  21. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  22. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  23. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  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 — a young animal
  2. pop — music
  3. fall — to drop
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. net — after costs
  6. bank — for money
  7. face — to confront
  8. bulb — for light
  9. net — for catching
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. bulb — of a plant
  12. net — in sport
  13. fall — the season
  14. pop — to visit
  15. perch — the fish
  16. bulb — for light
  17. fall — to drop
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. face — part of the head
  20. bank — of a river
  21. bank — for money
  22. calf — of the leg
  23. face — to point toward
  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