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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 get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  2. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  3. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  4. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  5. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  6. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  7. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  8. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  9. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  10. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  11. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  12. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  13. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  14. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  15. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  16. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  17. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  18. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  19. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  20. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  21. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  22. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  23. The light ________________ burned out.
  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. leaves — of a tree
  3. kick — with a leg
  4. bark — of a tree
  5. face — to point toward
  6. kid — child
  7. bulb — of a plant
  8. bark — a dog's sound
  9. face — part of the head
  10. leaves — to go away
  11. calf — of the leg
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. pitch — completely
  14. face — to confront
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. bark — to shout
  17. pitch — a sports field
  18. pitch — a sales talk
  19. kick — in football
  20. kid — to tease
  21. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  22. leaves — lets stay
  23. bulb — for light
  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