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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: rock · fan · calf · wound · deal · last · bulb · foot

  1. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  2. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  3. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  4. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  5. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  6. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  7. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  10. False peace will not ________________.
  11. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  12. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  13. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  14. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  15. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  16. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  17. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  18. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  19. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  20. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  21. I've got to change the light ________________.
  22. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  23. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  24. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?

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

Answer key

  1. deal — a big deal
  2. deal — an agreement
  3. last — final
  4. deal — to handle
  5. wound — past of 'wind'
  6. rock — a stone
  7. calf — of the leg
  8. bulb — for light
  9. foot — a measure
  10. last — to go on
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. rock — to move gently
  13. wound — an injury
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. last — finally
  17. fan — to cool the air
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. bulb — of a plant
  20. foot — part of the body
  21. bulb — for light
  22. foot — the bottom
  23. wound — an injury
  24. rock — music

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