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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. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  2. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  3. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  4. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  5. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  6. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  7. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  8. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  9. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  10. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  11. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  12. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  13. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  14. I've got to change the light ________________.
  15. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  16. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  17. Don't do anything ________________.
  18. The light ________________ burned out.
  19. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  20. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  21. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  22. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  23. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  24. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — with a leg
  2. leaves — lets stay
  3. kick — a thrill
  4. bulb — of a plant
  5. wake — to stop sleeping
  6. trunk — of a car
  7. wake — a trail
  8. trunk — of a tree
  9. bear — to put up with
  10. rash — on the skin
  11. leaves — to go away
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. bear — the animal
  14. bulb — for light
  15. kick — in football
  16. wake — before a funeral
  17. rash — hasty
  18. bulb — for light
  19. trunk — of an elephant
  20. leaves — of a tree
  21. stick — to attach or keep to
  22. bear — the animal
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. rash — a series

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