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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. The light ________________ burned out.
  2. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  3. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  4. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  5. It's one o'clock ________________.
  6. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  7. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  8. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  9. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  10. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  11. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  12. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  13. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  14. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  15. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  16. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  17. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  18. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  19. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  20. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  21. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  22. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  23. I've got to change the light ________________.
  24. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. sharp — with an edge
  3. march — the month
  4. pass — a permit
  5. sharp — exactly
  6. kick — a thrill
  7. pass — to spend time
  8. object — to protest
  9. object — a thing
  10. sharp — clever
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. cap — of ice
  13. object — an aim
  14. bulb — of a plant
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. kick — with a leg
  17. pass — to succeed
  18. cap — a lid
  19. cap — a hat
  20. march — the month
  21. safe — a strongbox
  22. kick — in football
  23. bulb — for light
  24. march — music

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