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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. The light ________________ burned out.
  2. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  3. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  4. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  5. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  6. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  7. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  8. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  9. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  10. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  11. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  12. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  13. I've got to change the light ________________.
  14. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  15. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  16. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  17. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  18. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  19. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  20. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  21. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  22. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  23. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  24. That must've been a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. wave — of the sea
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. can — to be able to
  5. pit — a fruit stone
  6. pit — in a race
  7. bore — to tire
  8. wave — a sudden rise
  9. bore — gave birth
  10. kick — a thrill
  11. bulb — of a plant
  12. rush — hurry
  13. bulb — for light
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. wave — with your hand
  16. bore — to drill
  17. kick — with a leg
  18. kick — in football
  19. rush — to hurry
  20. can — a tin
  21. can — a tin
  22. fan — to cool the air
  23. pit — a hole
  24. rush — a thrill

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