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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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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. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  2. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  3. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. It's one o'clock ________________.
  6. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  7. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  8. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  9. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  10. What do you think of the new ________________?
  11. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  12. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  13. I've got to change the light ________________.
  14. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  15. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  16. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  17. I can't ________________ this cold.
  18. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  19. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  20. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  21. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  22. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  23. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  24. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — with a leg
  2. snap — to snap out of it
  3. pit — in a race
  4. bulb — for light
  5. sharp — exactly
  6. kick — a thrill
  7. pit — a hole
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. ruler — a monarch
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. sharp — clever
  13. bulb — for light
  14. bulb — of a plant
  15. sharp — with an edge
  16. snap — to click
  17. stand — to bear
  18. pit — a fruit stone
  19. kick — in football
  20. snap — to speak sharply
  21. stand — on your feet
  22. cabinet — a cupboard
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. stand — for spectators

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