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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. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  5. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  6. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  7. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  8. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  9. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  10. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  11. David sat on the ________________.
  12. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  13. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  14. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  15. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  16. The light ________________ burned out.
  17. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  18. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  19. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  20. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  21. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  22. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  23. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  24. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — in football
  2. kick — a thrill
  3. bulb — for light
  4. swing — music
  5. kick — with a leg
  6. prune — the fruit
  7. prune — to trim
  8. club — a group
  9. club — for dancing
  10. wave — a sudden rise
  11. swing — to play on
  12. bark — to shout
  13. prune — to trim
  14. bark — a dog's sound
  15. club — for golf
  16. bulb — for light
  17. swing — in golf
  18. bore — to tire
  19. wave — with your hand
  20. bark — of a tree
  21. bore — to drill
  22. bulb — of a plant
  23. bore — gave birth
  24. wave — of the sea

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