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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. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  2. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  3. The light ________________ burned out.
  4. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  5. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  6. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  7. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  8. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  9. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  10. Did you ________________ the meat?
  11. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  12. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  13. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  14. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  15. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  16. The ball is in your ________________.
  17. My father caught me by the ________________.
  18. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  19. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  20. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  21. I've got to change the light ________________.
  22. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  23. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  24. The ________________ took off on time.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. bulb — for light
  4. season — in sport
  5. arm — a part of something
  6. kick — with a leg
  7. kick — in football
  8. hide — animal skin
  9. season — of the year
  10. season — to add flavour
  11. plane — in geometry
  12. kick — a thrill
  13. chip — for betting
  14. chip — in a computer
  15. court — of a king
  16. court — for sport
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. court — of law
  19. chip — to eat
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. bulb — for light
  22. plane — a tool
  23. bulb — of a plant
  24. plane — an aircraft

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