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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. There's no middle ________________.
  2. The light ________________ burned out.
  3. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  4. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  5. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  6. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  7. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  8. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  9. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  10. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  11. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  12. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  13. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  14. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  15. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  16. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  17. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  18. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  19. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  20. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  21. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  22. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  23. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  24. I've got to change the light ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — a position
  2. bulb — for light
  3. hand — help
  4. bank — of a river
  5. bulb — of a plant
  6. kick — a thrill
  7. kick — in football
  8. bank — for money
  9. lean — thin
  10. jam — a tight spot
  11. vault — an arched ceiling
  12. lean — to rest against
  13. hand — in cards
  14. ground — crushed
  15. lean — to bend
  16. ground — the earth
  17. bank — for money
  18. jam — to spread on bread
  19. jam — in traffic
  20. vault — in gymnastics
  21. vault — a safe
  22. hand — part of the body
  23. kick — with a leg
  24. bulb — for light

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