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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. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  3. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  4. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  5. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  6. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  7. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  8. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  9. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  10. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  11. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  12. The light ________________ burned out.
  13. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  14. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  15. What do you think of the new ________________?
  16. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  17. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  18. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  19. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  20. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  21. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  22. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  23. I've got to change the light ________________.
  24. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — with a leg
  2. bear — the animal
  3. band — a ring
  4. bulb — of a plant
  5. dip — to sink
  6. bat — for baseball
  7. dip — to dunk
  8. kick — a thrill
  9. bat — the animal
  10. bear — the animal
  11. leaves — of a tree
  12. bulb — for light
  13. bear — to put up with
  14. cabinet — a cupboard
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. bat — in an idiom
  17. leaves — to go away
  18. dip — a sauce
  19. band — a rubber band
  20. leaves — lets stay
  21. band — a music group
  22. kick — in football
  23. bulb — for light
  24. cabinet — ministers

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