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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 116 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 light ________________ burned out.
  2. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  3. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  4. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  5. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  6. That must've been a ________________.
  7. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  8. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  9. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  10. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  11. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  12. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  13. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  14. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  15. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  16. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  17. Don't do anything ________________.
  18. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  19. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  20. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  21. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  22. I've got to change the light ________________.
  23. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  24. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. kick — with a leg
  3. rest — what's left
  4. patient — calm and waiting
  5. kick — a thrill
  6. rush — a thrill
  7. deal — an agreement
  8. deal — a big deal
  9. face — to point toward
  10. bulb — of a plant
  11. rush — hurry
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. face — part of the head
  14. rest — a break
  15. face — to confront
  16. kick — in football
  17. rash — hasty
  18. deal — to handle
  19. rash — on the skin
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. rush — to hurry
  22. bulb — for light
  23. rest — what's left
  24. rash — a series

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