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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: calf · bat · bulb · cabinet · bay · last · saw · toast

  1. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  2. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  3. She's very handy with a ________________.
  4. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  5. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  6. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  7. The light ________________ burned out.
  8. What do you think of the new ________________?
  9. False peace will not ________________.
  10. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  11. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  12. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  13. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  14. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  15. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  16. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  17. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  18. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  19. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  20. He works in a ________________ mill.
  21. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  22. My mare is ________________ in color.
  23. I've got to change the light ________________.
  24. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!

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

Answer key

  1. calf — of the leg
  2. bulb — of a plant
  3. saw — the tool
  4. toast — bread
  5. bat — the animal
  6. toast — the most admired
  7. bulb — for light
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. last — to go on
  10. bay — to keep at bay
  11. saw — past of 'see'
  12. toast — a drink to someone
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. bat — in an idiom
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. bat — for baseball
  18. cabinet — a cupboard
  19. bay — a part of the sea
  20. saw — the tool
  21. last — finally
  22. bay — a horse colour
  23. bulb — for light
  24. last — final

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