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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 120 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
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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: foot · bulb · kick · ball · last · cap · calf · mine

  1. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  2. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  3. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  4. I've got to change the light ________________.
  5. The light ________________ burned out.
  6. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  7. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  8. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  9. False peace will not ________________.
  10. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  11. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  12. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  13. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  14. The King held a masked ________________.
  15. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  16. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  17. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  18. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  19. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  20. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  21. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  22. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  23. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  24. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.

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

Answer key

  1. last — final
  2. foot — a measure
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. bulb — for light
  5. bulb — for light
  6. ball — a great time
  7. kick — in football
  8. last — finally
  9. last — to go on
  10. mine — for digging
  11. bulb — of a plant
  12. cap — a hat
  13. kick — a thrill
  14. ball — a dance
  15. calf — of the leg
  16. kick — with a leg
  17. mine — belonging to me
  18. foot — part of the body
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. cap — of ice
  21. ball — a round shape
  22. mine — an explosive
  23. cap — a lid
  24. foot — the bottom

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