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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 · rest · arm · vault · spell · patient · tear · calf

  1. The light ________________ burned out.
  2. My father caught me by the ________________.
  3. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  4. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  5. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  6. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  7. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  8. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  9. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  10. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  11. How do you ________________ your surname?
  12. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  13. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  14. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  15. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  16. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  17. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  18. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  19. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  20. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  21. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  22. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  23. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  24. I've got to change the light ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. rest — a break
  4. arm — a part of something
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. rest — what's left
  8. tear — from crying
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. bulb — of a plant
  11. spell — letters
  12. vault — in gymnastics
  13. spell — a short time
  14. tear — to rip
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. calf — of the leg
  17. vault — a safe
  18. rest — what's left
  19. vault — an arched ceiling
  20. tear — from crying
  21. spell — magic
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. patient — calm and waiting
  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