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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. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  2. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  3. The light ________________ burned out.
  4. Did you ________________ the button?
  5. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  6. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  7. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  8. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  9. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  10. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  11. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  12. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  13. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  14. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  15. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  16. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  17. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  18. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  19. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  20. I've got to change the light ________________.
  21. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  22. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  23. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  24. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?

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

Answer key

  1. kid — child
  2. kick — a thrill
  3. bulb — for light
  4. press — to push
  5. kid — to tease
  6. bulb — of a plant
  7. net — after costs
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. net — in sport
  10. fan — to cool the air
  11. leaves — to go away
  12. net — for catching
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. kick — in football
  15. leaves — of a tree
  16. kick — with a leg
  17. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  18. press — newspapers
  19. mouse — for a computer
  20. bulb — for light
  21. leaves — lets stay
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. press — a publisher
  24. fan — a supporter

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