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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. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  3. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  4. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  5. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  6. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  7. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  8. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  9. I've got to change the light ________________.
  10. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  11. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  12. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  13. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  14. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. The ________________ market has crashed.
  17. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  18. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  19. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  20. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  21. Have you found your soul ________________?
  22. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  23. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  24. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — a thrill
  2. fall — to drop
  3. stock — a soup base
  4. bulb — of a plant
  5. mate — a friend
  6. fall — the season
  7. chest — a box
  8. mate — to breed
  9. bulb — for light
  10. stock — goods
  11. kick — with a leg
  12. rock — music
  13. foot — part of the body
  14. rock — a stone
  15. bulb — for light
  16. stock — shares
  17. kick — in football
  18. chest — of your body
  19. rock — to move gently
  20. foot — a measure
  21. mate — a partner
  22. chest — of your body
  23. foot — the bottom
  24. fall — to drop

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