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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: nail · calf · hide · lean · field · object · bulb · last

  1. I've got to change the light ________________.
  2. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  3. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  4. The ________________ went through the wall.
  5. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  6. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  7. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  8. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  9. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  10. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  11. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  12. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  13. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  14. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  15. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  16. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  17. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  18. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  19. The light ________________ burned out.
  20. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  21. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  22. False peace will not ________________.
  23. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  24. He is as ________________ as a wolf.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. object — to protest
  3. hide — animal skin
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. field — farmland
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. lean — to bend
  8. field — a subject
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. nail — on a finger
  11. last — finally
  12. bulb — of a plant
  13. field — for sport
  14. last — final
  15. lean — to rest against
  16. object — a thing
  17. calf — of the leg
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. bulb — for light
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. object — an aim
  22. last — to go on
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. lean — thin

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