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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.

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. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  2. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  3. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  4. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  5. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  6. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  7. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  8. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  9. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  10. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  11. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  12. I've got to change the light ________________.
  13. How do you ________________ your surname?
  14. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  15. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  16. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  17. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  18. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  19. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  20. The light ________________ burned out.
  21. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  22. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  23. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  24. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — in football
  2. spell — magic
  3. pitch — a sports field
  4. wind — moving air
  5. vault — a safe
  6. wind — moving air
  7. kick — with a leg
  8. lash — to lash out
  9. lash — an eyelash
  10. pitch — a sales talk
  11. kick — a thrill
  12. bulb — for light
  13. spell — letters
  14. vault — an arched ceiling
  15. pitch — completely
  16. prune — to trim
  17. prune — the fruit
  18. vault — in gymnastics
  19. wind — to turn a key
  20. bulb — for light
  21. spell — a short time
  22. lash — a whip stroke
  23. bulb — of a plant
  24. prune — to trim

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