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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 116 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: hide · calf · pit · pop · sharp · bass · bulb · spell

  1. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  2. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  3. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  4. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  5. The light ________________ burned out.
  6. We're almost out of ________________.
  7. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  8. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  9. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  12. You don't need to ________________ round.
  13. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  14. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  15. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  16. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  17. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  18. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  19. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  20. It's one o'clock ________________.
  21. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  22. How do you ________________ your surname?
  23. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  24. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — of a plant
  2. bass — low music
  3. spell — magic
  4. pit — a hole
  5. bulb — for light
  6. pop — soda
  7. calf — of the leg
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. pit — a fruit stone
  10. bulb — for light
  11. spell — a short time
  12. pop — to visit
  13. sharp — with an edge
  14. bass — the fish
  15. sharp — clever
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. hide — animal skin
  20. sharp — exactly
  21. pop — music
  22. spell — letters
  23. bass — the instrument
  24. pit — in a race

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