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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.

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: bear · clip · root · game · pass · bulb · stand · calf

  1. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  2. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  3. That was a fun ________________.
  4. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  5. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  6. I can't ________________ this cold.
  7. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  8. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  9. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  10. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  11. The light ________________ burned out.
  12. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  13. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  14. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  15. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  16. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  17. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  18. I've got to change the light ________________.
  19. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  20. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  21. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  22. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  23. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  24. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — of a plant
  2. bear — to put up with
  3. game — a match
  4. calf — of the leg
  5. root — the cause
  6. stand — to bear
  7. pass — to succeed
  8. root — of a plant
  9. bear — the animal
  10. game — wild animals
  11. bulb — for light
  12. stand — on your feet
  13. game — a kind of play
  14. bear — the animal
  15. pass — to spend time
  16. clip — to cut
  17. stand — for spectators
  18. bulb — for light
  19. clip — a video
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. clip — for paper
  22. pass — a permit
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. root — of a word

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