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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 116 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. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  3. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  4. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  5. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  6. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  7. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  8. David sat on the ________________.
  9. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  10. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  11. It's one o'clock ________________.
  12. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  13. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  14. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  15. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  16. I've got to change the light ________________.
  17. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  18. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  19. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  20. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  21. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  22. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  23. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  24. The light ________________ burned out.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — with a leg
  2. firm — steady
  3. sharp — clever
  4. swing — music
  5. bulb — of a plant
  6. bear — to put up with
  7. wave — a sudden rise
  8. swing — to play on
  9. hand — part of the body
  10. wave — with your hand
  11. sharp — exactly
  12. sharp — with an edge
  13. bear — the animal
  14. hand — help
  15. firm — a company
  16. bulb — for light
  17. wave — of the sea
  18. kick — a thrill
  19. swing — in golf
  20. bear — the animal
  21. firm — decided
  22. hand — in cards
  23. kick — in football
  24. bulb — for light

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