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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: snap · pit · toast · arm · bulb · leaves · mine · calf

  1. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  2. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  3. The light ________________ burned out.
  4. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  5. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  6. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  7. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  8. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  9. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  12. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  13. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  14. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  15. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  16. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  17. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  18. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  19. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  20. My father caught me by the ________________.
  21. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  22. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  23. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  24. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — of the leg
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. bulb — for light
  4. toast — a drink to someone
  5. pit — a fruit stone
  6. toast — the most admired
  7. snap — to click
  8. leaves — of a tree
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. bulb — for light
  11. mine — for digging
  12. pit — in a race
  13. snap — to snap out of it
  14. mine — an explosive
  15. bulb — of a plant
  16. arm — a part of something
  17. snap — to speak sharply
  18. leaves — lets stay
  19. leaves — to go away
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. pit — a hole
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. mine — belonging to me
  24. toast — bread

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