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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: fan · pass · leaves · hand · field · bulb · calf · march

  1. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  2. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  3. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  6. I've got to change the light ________________.
  7. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  8. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  9. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  10. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  11. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  12. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  13. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  14. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  15. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  16. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  17. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  18. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  19. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  20. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  21. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  22. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  23. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  24. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. pass — to spend time
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. bulb — for light
  5. calf — of the leg
  6. bulb — for light
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. leaves — of a tree
  9. fan — to cool the air
  10. field — a subject
  11. pass — a permit
  12. march — the month
  13. march — the month
  14. field — for sport
  15. march — music
  16. bulb — of a plant
  17. leaves — lets stay
  18. hand — help
  19. hand — part of the body
  20. hand — in cards
  21. leaves — to go away
  22. pass — to succeed
  23. field — farmland
  24. fan — a supporter

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