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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 120 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: file · calf · wound · bulb · bay · pop · temple · bat

  1. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  2. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  3. My mare is ________________ in color.
  4. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  5. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  6. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  7. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  8. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  9. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  10. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  11. I've got to change the light ________________.
  12. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  13. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  14. The light ________________ burned out.
  15. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  16. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  17. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  18. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  19. When was this ________________ built?
  20. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  21. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  22. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  23. We're almost out of ________________.
  24. You don't need to ________________ round.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — to keep at bay
  2. pop — music
  3. bay — a horse colour
  4. bat — the animal
  5. wound — an injury
  6. bat — in an idiom
  7. file — a line of people
  8. temple — side of the head
  9. calf — of the leg
  10. wound — an injury
  11. bulb — for light
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. bulb — for light
  15. bat — for baseball
  16. bay — a part of the sea
  17. wound — past of 'wind'
  18. file — a document
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. file — a tool
  21. bulb — of a plant
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. pop — soda
  24. pop — to visit

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