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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. I've got to change the light ________________.
  2. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  3. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  4. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  5. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  6. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  7. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  8. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  9. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  10. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  11. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  12. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  13. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  14. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  15. That was ________________ to happen.
  16. The light ________________ burned out.
  17. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  18. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  19. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  20. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  21. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  22. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  23. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  24. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. kick — in football
  3. kick — with a leg
  4. pass — to spend time
  5. snap — to speak sharply
  6. scale — for weighing
  7. bound — obliged
  8. craft — a handicraft
  9. bulb — of a plant
  10. craft — boats
  11. pass — to succeed
  12. bound — tied together
  13. snap — to snap out of it
  14. file — a tool
  15. bound — certain
  16. bulb — for light
  17. craft — a skill
  18. file — a document
  19. file — a line of people
  20. scale — size or range
  21. pass — a permit
  22. snap — to click
  23. scale — in music
  24. kick — a thrill

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