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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: snap · pound · current · calf · kid · fall · bulb · perch

  1. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  2. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  3. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  4. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  5. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  6. I've got to change the light ________________.
  7. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  8. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  9. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  10. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  11. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  12. The light ________________ burned out.
  13. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  14. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  15. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  16. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  17. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  18. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  19. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  20. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  21. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  22. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  23. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  24. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — of a plant
  2. pound — to hit hard
  3. current — happening now
  4. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  5. current — of water
  6. bulb — for light
  7. pound — a weight
  8. snap — to click
  9. fall — the season
  10. current — electric
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. bulb — for light
  13. kid — to tease
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. fall — to drop
  16. calf — of the leg
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. fall — to drop
  19. snap — to snap out of it
  20. kid — child
  21. snap — to speak sharply
  22. perch — the fish
  23. pound — for dogs
  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