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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.

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: wound · stick · bay · press · calf · bulb · season · game

  1. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  2. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  3. My mare is ________________ in color.
  4. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  5. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  6. Did you ________________ the meat?
  7. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  8. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  9. That was a fun ________________.
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. Did you ________________ the button?
  12. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  13. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  14. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  15. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  16. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  17. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  18. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  19. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  20. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  21. The light ________________ burned out.
  22. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  23. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  24. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — of a plant
  2. press — a publisher
  3. bay — a horse colour
  4. season — in sport
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. season — to add flavour
  7. bay — a part of the sea
  8. wound — an injury
  9. game — a match
  10. bulb — for light
  11. press — to push
  12. calf — of the leg
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. game — wild animals
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. season — of the year
  17. wound — an injury
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. bay — to keep at bay
  20. game — a kind of play
  21. bulb — for light
  22. stick — to attach or keep to
  23. wound — past of 'wind'
  24. press — newspapers

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