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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: pop · calf · wave · trunk · bulb · fork · spell · kid

  1. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  2. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  3. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  4. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  5. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  6. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  7. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  8. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  9. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  10. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  11. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  12. We're almost out of ________________.
  13. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  14. The light ________________ burned out.
  15. You don't need to ________________ round.
  16. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  17. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  18. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  19. I've got to change the light ________________.
  20. How do you ________________ your surname?
  21. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  22. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  23. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  24. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — to tease
  2. wave — of the sea
  3. trunk — of a car
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. bulb — of a plant
  6. fork — to eat with
  7. pop — music
  8. wave — with your hand
  9. spell — a short time
  10. fork — a garden tool
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. pop — soda
  13. trunk — of an elephant
  14. bulb — for light
  15. pop — to visit
  16. kid — child
  17. fork — in a road
  18. calf — of the leg
  19. bulb — for light
  20. spell — letters
  21. spell — magic
  22. wave — a sudden rise
  23. trunk — of a tree
  24. kid — young goat (kid gloves)

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