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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. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  2. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  3. Did you ________________ the meat?
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. It's one o'clock ________________.
  6. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  7. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  8. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  9. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  10. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  11. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  12. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  13. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  14. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  15. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  16. I've got to change the light ________________.
  17. My father caught me by the ________________.
  18. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  19. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  20. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  21. The ________________ market has crashed.
  22. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  23. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  24. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — in football
  2. season — of the year
  3. season — to add flavour
  4. bulb — for light
  5. sharp — exactly
  6. sharp — with an edge
  7. kick — a thrill
  8. stock — a soup base
  9. dip — to sink
  10. season — in sport
  11. arm — a part of something
  12. sharp — clever
  13. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  14. kid — to tease
  15. kick — with a leg
  16. bulb — for light
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. stock — goods
  20. bulb — of a plant
  21. stock — shares
  22. kid — child
  23. dip — to dunk
  24. dip — a sauce

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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