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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. The light ________________ burned out.
  2. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  3. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  4. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  5. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  6. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  7. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  8. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  9. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  12. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  13. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  14. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  15. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  16. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  17. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  18. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  19. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  20. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  21. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  22. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  23. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  24. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. pit — a hole
  3. kick — a thrill
  4. file — a line of people
  5. kick — in football
  6. wake — a trail
  7. present — a gift
  8. wake — to stop sleeping
  9. pit — a fruit stone
  10. bulb — for light
  11. bulb — of a plant
  12. present — there
  13. file — a tool
  14. chest — a box
  15. pit — in a race
  16. wave — a sudden rise
  17. present — the time now
  18. kick — with a leg
  19. chest — of your body
  20. chest — of your body
  21. wake — before a funeral
  22. file — a document
  23. wave — of the sea
  24. wave — with your hand

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