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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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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: bear · bulb · cell · rash · squash · wound · bay · calf

  1. The light ________________ burned out.
  2. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  5. My mare is ________________ in color.
  6. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  7. Don't do anything ________________.
  8. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  9. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  10. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  11. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  12. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  13. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  14. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  15. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  16. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  17. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  18. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  19. He was locked up in a ________________.
  20. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  21. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  22. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  23. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  24. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. bay — to keep at bay
  3. bulb — for light
  4. bulb — of a plant
  5. bay — a horse colour
  6. squash — to crush
  7. rash — hasty
  8. wound — an injury
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. bear — the animal
  11. cell — a phone
  12. cell — in biology
  13. bay — a part of the sea
  14. wound — an injury
  15. squash — the sport
  16. calf — of the leg
  17. rash — a series
  18. squash — the vegetable
  19. cell — in a prison
  20. wound — past of 'wind'
  21. rash — on the skin
  22. bear — to put up with
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. bear — the animal

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