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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: calf · capital · bulb · perch · lie · land · mate · ball

  1. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  2. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  3. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  4. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  5. The light ________________ burned out.
  6. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  7. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  8. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  9. Have you found your soul ________________?
  10. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  11. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  12. I've got to change the light ________________.
  13. When are we going to ________________?
  14. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  15. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  16. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  17. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  18. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  19. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  20. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  21. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  22. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  23. The King held a masked ________________.
  24. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — of a plant
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. mate — a friend
  5. bulb — for light
  6. lie — to recline
  7. mate — to breed
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. mate — a partner
  10. capital — money
  11. calf — of the leg
  12. bulb — for light
  13. land — to come down
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. ball — a round shape
  17. ball — a great time
  18. capital — a city
  19. capital — a big letter
  20. land — ground
  21. perch — the fish
  22. land — a country
  23. ball — a dance
  24. perch — for a bird

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