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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The ________________ took off on time.
  2. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  3. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  4. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  5. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  6. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  7. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  8. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  9. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  10. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  11. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  12. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  13. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  14. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  15. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  16. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  17. The light ________________ burned out.
  18. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  19. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  20. I've got to change the light ________________.
  21. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  22. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  23. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  24. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — an aircraft
  2. kick — with a leg
  3. rock — to move gently
  4. hand — part of the body
  5. foot — part of the body
  6. bulb — of a plant
  7. hand — in cards
  8. perch — the fish
  9. pit — a fruit stone
  10. kick — a thrill
  11. pit — in a race
  12. foot — the bottom
  13. foot — a measure
  14. rock — music
  15. hand — help
  16. rock — a stone
  17. bulb — for light
  18. pit — a hole
  19. kick — in football
  20. bulb — for light
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. plane — a tool
  23. plane — in geometry
  24. perch — for a bird

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