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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.

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: lean · spell · calf · arm · jam · mine · bulb · wind

  1. I've got to change the light ________________.
  2. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  3. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  4. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  5. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  6. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  7. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  8. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  9. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  10. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  11. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  12. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  13. The light ________________ burned out.
  14. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  15. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  16. My father caught me by the ________________.
  17. How do you ________________ your surname?
  18. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  19. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  20. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  21. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  22. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  23. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  24. He was blown up by a land ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. calf — of the leg
  3. lean — to rest against
  4. arm — a part of something
  5. jam — in traffic
  6. spell — magic
  7. jam — to spread on bread
  8. lean — thin
  9. mine — belonging to me
  10. wind — moving air
  11. jam — a tight spot
  12. wind — moving air
  13. bulb — for light
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. spell — a short time
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. spell — letters
  18. mine — for digging
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. bulb — of a plant
  21. lean — to bend
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. wind — to turn a key
  24. mine — an explosive

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