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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 120 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. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  3. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  4. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  5. The light ________________ burned out.
  6. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  7. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  8. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  9. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  10. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  11. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  12. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  13. I've got to change the light ________________.
  14. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  15. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  16. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  17. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  18. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  19. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  20. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  21. The ________________ went through the wall.
  22. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  23. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  24. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — a thrill
  2. pit — a hole
  3. fall — to drop
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. bulb — for light
  6. kick — with a leg
  7. pit — a fruit stone
  8. bulb — of a plant
  9. nail — on a finger
  10. wax — to grow
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. pit — in a race
  13. bulb — for light
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. safe — a strongbox
  16. wax — in the ear
  17. fall — to drop
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. fall — the season
  20. kick — in football
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. racket — a loud noise
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. wax — for sculpting

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