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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: ball · tear · mate · bulb · ruler · calf · spring · net

  1. Have you found your soul ________________?
  2. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  5. The light ________________ burned out.
  6. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  7. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  8. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  9. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  10. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  11. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  12. The King held a masked ________________.
  13. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  14. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  15. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  16. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  17. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  18. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  19. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  20. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  21. I've got to change the light ________________.
  22. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  23. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  24. What was your ________________ profit last year?

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a partner
  2. spring — a coil
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. ball — a great time
  5. bulb — for light
  6. mate — to breed
  7. ruler — a monarch
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. calf — of the leg
  10. spring — the season
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. ball — a dance
  13. tear — from crying
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. tear — from crying
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. spring — of water
  18. net — in sport
  19. net — for catching
  20. ball — a round shape
  21. bulb — for light
  22. mate — a friend
  23. tear — to rip
  24. net — after costs

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