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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 116 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. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  2. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  3. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  4. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  5. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  6. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  7. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  8. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  9. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  10. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  11. When are we going to ________________?
  12. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  13. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  14. The light ________________ burned out.
  15. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  16. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  17. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  18. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  19. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  20. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  21. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  22. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  23. Don't do anything ________________.
  24. I've got to change the light ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — a thrill
  2. land — a country
  3. hand — in cards
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. hand — help
  7. hand — part of the body
  8. rest — what's left
  9. rest — a break
  10. safe — a strongbox
  11. land — to come down
  12. kick — in football
  13. row — a quarrel
  14. bulb — for light
  15. row — to paddle
  16. kick — with a leg
  17. rash — a series
  18. rest — what's left
  19. row — a line
  20. rash — on the skin
  21. bulb — of a plant
  22. land — ground
  23. rash — hasty
  24. bulb — for light

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