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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. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  2. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  3. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  6. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  7. I can't ________________ this cold.
  8. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  9. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  10. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  11. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  12. This piece is in a major ________________.
  13. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  14. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  15. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  16. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  17. My father caught me by the ________________.
  18. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  19. I've got to change the light ________________.
  20. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  21. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  22. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  23. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  24. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — with a leg
  2. kid — child
  3. branch — a division
  4. bulb — for light
  5. arm — a part of something
  6. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  7. stand — to bear
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. kick — a thrill
  10. bulb — of a plant
  11. march — the month
  12. key — in music
  13. kick — in football
  14. march — music
  15. kid — to tease
  16. key — the most important part
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. branch — of a bank
  19. bulb — for light
  20. branch — of a tree
  21. stand — for spectators
  22. march — the month
  23. key — for a lock
  24. stand — on your feet

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