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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: cold · calf · coach · stick · bulb · rock · game · lean

  1. I've got to change the light ________________.
  2. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  3. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  4. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  5. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  6. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  7. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  8. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  9. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  10. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  11. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  12. The water is too ________________.
  13. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  14. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  15. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  16. Have you met the new head ________________?
  17. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  18. That was a fun ________________.
  19. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  20. The light ________________ burned out.
  21. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  22. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  23. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  24. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. game — a kind of play
  6. calf — of the leg
  7. lean — thin
  8. rock — a stone
  9. coach — pulled by horses
  10. bulb — of a plant
  11. rock — to move gently
  12. cold — not warm
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. lean — to rest against
  15. cold — the Cold War
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. game — a match
  19. stick — to attach or keep to
  20. bulb — for light
  21. rock — music
  22. game — wild animals
  23. cold — an illness
  24. lean — to bend

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