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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. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  3. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  4. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  5. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  6. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  7. The light ________________ burned out.
  8. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  9. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  10. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  11. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  12. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  13. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  14. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  15. I've got to change the light ________________.
  16. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  17. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  18. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  19. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  20. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  21. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  22. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  23. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  24. When will it ________________ you to start?

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

Answer key

  1. kick — with a leg
  2. suit — in cards
  3. mouse — for a computer
  4. chest — of your body
  5. kick — a thrill
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. bulb — for light
  8. row — a line
  9. row — a quarrel
  10. kick — in football
  11. bulb — of a plant
  12. chest — of your body
  13. chest — a box
  14. pound — to hit hard
  15. bulb — for light
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. field — for sport
  18. pound — a weight
  19. suit — clothes
  20. pound — for dogs
  21. field — a subject
  22. row — to paddle
  23. field — farmland
  24. suit — to fit

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