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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  2. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  3. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  4. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  5. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  6. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  7. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  8. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  9. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  10. The light ________________ burned out.
  11. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  12. When was this ________________ built?
  13. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  14. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  15. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  16. There's no middle ________________.
  17. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  18. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  19. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  20. The tickets are free of ________________.
  21. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  22. I've got to change the light ________________.
  23. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  24. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — with a leg
  2. kick — a thrill
  3. charge — electricity
  4. perch — the fish
  5. leaves — lets stay
  6. leaves — of a tree
  7. bulb — of a plant
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. temple — side of the head
  10. bulb — for light
  11. leaves — to go away
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. ground — crushed
  14. degree — an amount
  15. degree — from a university
  16. ground — a position
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. charge — in control
  20. charge — a price
  21. degree — temperature
  22. bulb — for light
  23. kick — in football
  24. ground — the earth

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