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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 water is too ________________.
  2. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  3. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  4. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  5. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  6. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  7. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  8. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  9. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  10. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  11. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  12. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  13. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  14. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  15. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  16. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  17. I've got to change the light ________________.
  18. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  19. The light ________________ burned out.
  20. That was ________________ to happen.
  21. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  22. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  23. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  24. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — not warm
  2. object — an aim
  3. kick — with a leg
  4. bound — tied together
  5. kick — in football
  6. field — for sport
  7. object — to protest
  8. object — a thing
  9. branch — of a tree
  10. branch — a division
  11. field — a subject
  12. field — farmland
  13. branch — of a bank
  14. cue — a signal
  15. cue — for pool
  16. bound — obliged
  17. bulb — for light
  18. kick — a thrill
  19. bulb — for light
  20. bound — certain
  21. cold — the Cold War
  22. cue — a hint
  23. cold — an illness
  24. bulb — of a plant

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