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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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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: wound · calf · fine · bulb · kick · ball · cell · trunk

  1. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  2. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  3. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  4. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  5. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  6. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  7. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  8. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  9. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  10. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  11. I've got to change the light ________________.
  12. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  13. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  14. The King held a masked ________________.
  15. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  16. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  17. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  18. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  19. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  20. He was locked up in a ________________.
  21. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  22. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  23. The light ________________ burned out.
  24. He had ________________ pain while walking.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a round shape
  2. fine — a penalty
  3. wound — an injury
  4. fine — high quality
  5. bulb — of a plant
  6. ball — a great time
  7. kick — a thrill
  8. cell — in biology
  9. kick — in football
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. bulb — for light
  12. kick — with a leg
  13. wound — past of 'wind'
  14. ball — a dance
  15. trunk — of a car
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. fine — all right
  18. trunk — of an elephant
  19. cell — a phone
  20. cell — in a prison
  21. trunk — of a tree
  22. wound — an injury
  23. bulb — for light
  24. calf — of the leg

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