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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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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 · face · bulb · bat · present · deal · perch · snap

  1. The light ________________ burned out.
  2. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  3. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  4. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  5. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  6. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  7. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  8. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  9. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  12. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  13. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  14. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  15. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  16. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  17. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  18. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  19. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  20. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  21. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  22. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  23. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  24. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. bulb — of a plant
  3. perch — the fish
  4. bat — in an idiom
  5. present — a gift
  6. snap — to speak sharply
  7. present — there
  8. deal — to handle
  9. bat — for baseball
  10. bulb — for light
  11. face — to confront
  12. snap — to click
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. snap — to snap out of it
  16. bat — the animal
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. calf — of the leg
  19. deal — a big deal
  20. deal — an agreement
  21. face — to point toward
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. face — part of the head
  24. present — the time now

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