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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.

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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. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  2. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  3. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  4. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  5. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  6. The light ________________ burned out.
  7. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  8. Have you settled on a ________________?
  9. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  10. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  11. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  12. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  13. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  14. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  15. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  16. My father caught me by the ________________.
  17. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  18. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  19. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  20. I've got to change the light ________________.
  21. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  22. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  23. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  24. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — a thrill
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. shower — rain
  4. chair — to sit on
  5. shower — to wash
  6. bulb — for light
  7. bulb — of a plant
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. shower — a meteor shower
  10. pass — a permit
  11. jam — in traffic
  12. jam — to spread on bread
  13. arm — a part of something
  14. chair — a leader
  15. jam — a tight spot
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. pass — to succeed
  18. chair — a professorship
  19. date — the fruit
  20. bulb — for light
  21. kick — with a leg
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. kick — in football
  24. pass — to spend time

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