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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. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  2. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  5. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  6. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  7. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  8. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  9. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  10. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  11. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  12. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  13. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  14. She's very handy with a ________________.
  15. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  16. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  17. He works in a ________________ mill.
  18. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  19. The light ________________ burned out.
  20. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  21. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  22. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  23. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  24. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. present — a gift
  2. kick — with a leg
  3. bulb — for light
  4. spring — a coil
  5. present — there
  6. wave — a sudden rise
  7. bulb — of a plant
  8. wave — with your hand
  9. firm — decided
  10. spring — of water
  11. drill — the tool
  12. firm — steady
  13. saw — past of 'see'
  14. saw — the tool
  15. drill — army training
  16. kick — a thrill
  17. saw — the tool
  18. kick — in football
  19. bulb — for light
  20. spring — the season
  21. wave — of the sea
  22. drill — a practice
  23. present — the time now
  24. firm — a company

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