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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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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: bulb · tear · sharp · ruler · perch · calf · stand · degree

  1. I've got to change the light ________________.
  2. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  3. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  4. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  5. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  6. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  7. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  8. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  9. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  10. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  11. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  12. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  13. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  14. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  15. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  16. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  17. I can't ________________ this cold.
  18. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  19. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  20. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  21. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  22. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  23. It's one o'clock ________________.
  24. The light ________________ burned out.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. ruler — a monarch
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. perch — the fish
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. tear — to rip
  7. calf — of the leg
  8. degree — an amount
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. sharp — clever
  11. degree — temperature
  12. stand — for spectators
  13. degree — from a university
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. stand — to bear
  18. tear — from crying
  19. bulb — of a plant
  20. stand — on your feet
  21. tear — from crying
  22. sharp — with an edge
  23. sharp — exactly
  24. bulb — for light

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