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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 116 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. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  2. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  3. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  4. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  5. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  6. The light ________________ burned out.
  7. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  8. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  9. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  10. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  11. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  12. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  13. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  14. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  15. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  16. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  17. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  18. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  19. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  20. I've got to change the light ________________.
  21. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  22. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  23. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  24. She got the top ________________ in the exam.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — to tease
  2. kid — child
  3. mark — to pay attention
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. lean — thin
  6. bulb — for light
  7. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  8. leaves — of a tree
  9. leaves — lets stay
  10. bulb — of a plant
  11. kick — in football
  12. branch — of a bank
  13. branch — a division
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. lean — to rest against
  16. kick — a thrill
  17. mark — a trace
  18. lean — to bend
  19. kick — with a leg
  20. bulb — for light
  21. fan — to cool the air
  22. branch — of a tree
  23. leaves — to go away
  24. mark — a grade

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