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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: leaves · chest · racket · calf · foot · current · mate · bulb

  1. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  2. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  3. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  4. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  5. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  6. I've got to change the light ________________.
  7. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  8. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  9. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  10. Have you found your soul ________________?
  11. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  12. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  13. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  14. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  15. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  16. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  17. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  18. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  19. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  20. The light ________________ burned out.
  21. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  22. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  23. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  24. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — a loud noise
  2. current — electric
  3. foot — part of the body
  4. chest — of your body
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. bulb — for light
  7. foot — a measure
  8. calf — of the leg
  9. chest — of your body
  10. mate — a partner
  11. mate — to breed
  12. current — happening now
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. leaves — lets stay
  15. mate — a friend
  16. bulb — of a plant
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. leaves — to go away
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. bulb — for light
  21. foot — the bottom
  22. current — of water
  23. leaves — of a tree
  24. chest — a box

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