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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.

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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: wind · jam · calf · foot · bulb · rock · fall · march

  1. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  2. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  3. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  4. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  5. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  6. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  7. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  8. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  9. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  10. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  11. I've got to change the light ________________.
  12. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  13. The light ________________ burned out.
  14. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  15. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  16. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  17. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  18. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  19. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  20. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  21. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  22. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  23. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  24. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. march — the month
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. bulb — of a plant
  5. jam — to spread on bread
  6. wind — to turn a key
  7. march — the month
  8. jam — a tight spot
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. fall — to drop
  11. bulb — for light
  12. foot — part of the body
  13. bulb — for light
  14. rock — to move gently
  15. calf — of the leg
  16. march — music
  17. wind — moving air
  18. foot — a measure
  19. foot — the bottom
  20. jam — in traffic
  21. fall — the season
  22. rock — a stone
  23. rock — music
  24. wind — moving air

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