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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: season · bulb · land · calf · file · march · bear · lie

  1. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  2. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  3. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  4. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  5. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  6. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  7. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  8. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  9. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  10. The light ________________ burned out.
  11. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  12. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  13. I've got to change the light ________________.
  14. Did you ________________ the meat?
  15. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  16. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  17. When are we going to ________________?
  18. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  19. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  20. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  21. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  22. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  23. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  24. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — to recline
  2. land — a country
  3. march — music
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. calf — of the leg
  6. bear — the animal
  7. land — ground
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. march — the month
  10. bulb — for light
  11. bear — to put up with
  12. file — a document
  13. bulb — for light
  14. season — to add flavour
  15. season — in sport
  16. bear — the animal
  17. land — to come down
  18. season — of the year
  19. file — a line of people
  20. file — a tool
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. march — the month
  24. bulb — of a plant

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