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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. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  3. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  4. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  5. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  6. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  7. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  8. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  9. I've got to change the light ________________.
  10. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  11. The ________________ market has crashed.
  12. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  13. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  14. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  15. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  16. David sat on the ________________.
  17. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  18. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  19. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  20. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  21. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  22. The light ________________ burned out.
  23. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  24. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — with a leg
  2. lie — to recline
  3. kick — a thrill
  4. bulb — of a plant
  5. stock — goods
  6. bear — the animal
  7. bear — the animal
  8. race — a contest
  9. bulb — for light
  10. board — a flat piece
  11. stock — shares
  12. swing — music
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. bear — to put up with
  15. board — to get on
  16. swing — to play on
  17. race — the arms race
  18. board — a committee
  19. swing — in golf
  20. stock — a soup base
  21. race — humankind
  22. bulb — for light
  23. kick — in football
  24. lie — an untruth

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