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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 116 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. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  2. The light ________________ burned out.
  3. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  4. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  5. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  6. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  7. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  8. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  9. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  10. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  11. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  12. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  13. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  14. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  15. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  16. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  17. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  18. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  19. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  20. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  21. I've got to change the light ________________.
  22. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  23. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  24. That was ________________ to happen.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — to tease
  2. bulb — for light
  3. wake — to stop sleeping
  4. kick — a thrill
  5. kid — child
  6. firm — steady
  7. fall — to drop
  8. wake — a trail
  9. bound — obliged
  10. firm — decided
  11. board — a committee
  12. bulb — of a plant
  13. firm — a company
  14. kick — with a leg
  15. kick — in football
  16. bound — tied together
  17. wake — before a funeral
  18. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  19. board — to get on
  20. fall — the season
  21. bulb — for light
  22. fall — to drop
  23. board — a flat piece
  24. bound — certain

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