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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. The ________________ went through the wall.
  2. I've got to change the light ________________.
  3. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  4. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  5. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  6. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  7. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  8. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  9. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  10. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  11. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  12. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  13. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  14. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  15. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  16. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  17. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  18. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  19. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  20. The light ________________ burned out.
  21. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  22. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  23. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  24. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. bulb — for light
  3. kick — with a leg
  4. kick — in football
  5. wound — past of 'wind'
  6. kick — a thrill
  7. bulb — of a plant
  8. wound — an injury
  9. wound — an injury
  10. march — music
  11. race — humankind
  12. march — the month
  13. perch — the fish
  14. march — the month
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. race — a contest
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. hide — animal skin
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. bulb — for light
  21. race — the arms race
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. nail — on a finger

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