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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 old man leaned on his ________________.
  2. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  3. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  4. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  5. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  6. The light ________________ burned out.
  7. What do you think of the new ________________?
  8. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  9. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  10. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  11. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  12. I've got to change the light ________________.
  13. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  14. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  15. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  16. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  17. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  18. My father caught me by the ________________.
  19. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  20. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  21. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  22. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  23. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  24. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — a stick
  2. staff — employees
  3. lean — to bend
  4. fork — in a road
  5. bulb — of a plant
  6. bulb — for light
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. staff — employees
  10. race — a contest
  11. kick — with a leg
  12. bulb — for light
  13. race — the arms race
  14. lean — to rest against
  15. arm — a part of something
  16. race — humankind
  17. fork — to eat with
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. kick — a thrill
  20. kick — in football
  21. cabinet — a cupboard
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. lean — thin
  24. fork — a garden tool

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