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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. Where did you ________________ them?
  3. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  6. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  7. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  8. The ________________ took off on time.
  9. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  12. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  13. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  14. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  15. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  16. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  17. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  18. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  19. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  20. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  21. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  22. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  23. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  24. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — with a leg
  2. mug — to rob
  3. staff — employees
  4. bulb — for light
  5. mug — a face
  6. row — a quarrel
  7. wind — moving air
  8. plane — an aircraft
  9. staff — a stick
  10. bulb — for light
  11. row — a line
  12. staff — employees
  13. kick — a thrill
  14. row — to paddle
  15. plane — in geometry
  16. bulb — of a plant
  17. fine — all right
  18. mug — a cup
  19. fine — high quality
  20. plane — a tool
  21. fine — a penalty
  22. wind — to turn a key
  23. kick — in football
  24. wind — moving air

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