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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. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  2. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  3. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  4. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  5. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  6. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  7. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  8. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  9. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  10. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  11. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  12. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  13. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  14. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  15. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  16. I've got to change the light ________________.
  17. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  18. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  19. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  20. The light ________________ burned out.
  21. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  22. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  23. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  24. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — a thrill
  2. deal — to handle
  3. kick — with a leg
  4. bulb — of a plant
  5. rule — a law
  6. deal — an agreement
  7. wake — before a funeral
  8. board — a flat piece
  9. board — a committee
  10. wake — a trail
  11. kick — in football
  12. pound — to hit hard
  13. tear — to rip
  14. pound — for dogs
  15. rule — government
  16. bulb — for light
  17. board — to get on
  18. pound — a weight
  19. tear — from crying
  20. bulb — for light
  21. tear — from crying
  22. wake — to stop sleeping
  23. deal — a big deal
  24. rule — to rule out

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