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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. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  2. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  5. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  6. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  7. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  8. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  9. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  10. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  11. The King held a masked ________________.
  12. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  13. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  14. The light ________________ burned out.
  15. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  16. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  17. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  18. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  19. I've got to change the light ________________.
  20. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  21. It's one o'clock ________________.
  22. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  23. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  24. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. kick — with a leg
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. can — to be able to
  5. pound — to hit hard
  6. lean — to bend
  7. ball — a round shape
  8. pound — for dogs
  9. sharp — with an edge
  10. current — of water
  11. ball — a dance
  12. pound — a weight
  13. sharp — clever
  14. bulb — for light
  15. ball — a great time
  16. lean — thin
  17. current — electric
  18. current — happening now
  19. bulb — for light
  20. kick — a thrill
  21. sharp — exactly
  22. lean — to rest against
  23. can — a tin
  24. kick — in football

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