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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 120 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. It's one o'clock ________________.
  2. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  3. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  6. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  7. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  8. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  9. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  10. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  11. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  12. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  13. I've got to change the light ________________.
  14. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  15. I can't ________________ this cold.
  16. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  17. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  18. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  19. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  20. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  21. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  22. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  23. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  24. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — exactly
  2. kick — a thrill
  3. sharp — clever
  4. bulb — for light
  5. stand — for spectators
  6. bulb — of a plant
  7. root — the cause
  8. snap — to snap out of it
  9. snap — to speak sharply
  10. rest — what's left
  11. stand — on your feet
  12. kick — with a leg
  13. bulb — for light
  14. rest — a break
  15. stand — to bear
  16. bass — the fish
  17. rest — what's left
  18. bass — low music
  19. kick — in football
  20. sharp — with an edge
  21. snap — to click
  22. bass — the instrument
  23. root — of a plant
  24. root — of a word

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