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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. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  2. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  3. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  4. The tickets are free of ________________.
  5. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  6. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  7. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  8. I've got to change the light ________________.
  9. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  10. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  11. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  12. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  13. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  14. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  15. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  16. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  17. There's no middle ________________.
  18. The light ________________ burned out.
  19. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  20. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  21. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  22. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  23. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  24. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. wound — an injury
  3. ground — the earth
  4. charge — a price
  5. kick — with a leg
  6. row — to paddle
  7. ground — crushed
  8. bulb — for light
  9. foot — part of the body
  10. kick — in football
  11. kick — a thrill
  12. bulb — of a plant
  13. foot — the bottom
  14. row — a quarrel
  15. fan — to cool the air
  16. charge — in control
  17. ground — a position
  18. bulb — for light
  19. wound — an injury
  20. row — a line
  21. wound — past of 'wind'
  22. charge — electricity
  23. foot — a measure
  24. fan — a supporter

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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