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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 120 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: bay · calf · rest · land · bulb · rock · straw · content

  1. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  2. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  3. The light ________________ burned out.
  4. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  5. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  6. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  7. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  8. I've got to change the light ________________.
  9. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  10. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  11. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  12. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  13. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  14. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  15. When are we going to ________________?
  16. My mare is ________________ in color.
  17. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  18. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  19. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  20. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  21. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  22. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  23. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  24. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — dry grass
  2. bay — a part of the sea
  3. bulb — for light
  4. rock — to move gently
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. rest — a break
  7. rest — what's left
  8. bulb — for light
  9. bay — to keep at bay
  10. calf — of the leg
  11. rock — a stone
  12. content — happy
  13. bulb — of a plant
  14. content — the amount
  15. land — to come down
  16. bay — a horse colour
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. straw — a straw man
  19. straw — to clutch at straws
  20. rock — music
  21. land — a country
  22. rest — what's left
  23. content — videos and posts
  24. land — ground

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