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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. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  2. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  3. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  4. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  5. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  6. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  7. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  8. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  9. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  10. The light ________________ burned out.
  11. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  12. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  13. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  14. My mare is ________________ in color.
  15. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  16. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  17. I can't ________________ this cold.
  18. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  19. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  20. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  21. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  22. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  23. I've got to change the light ________________.
  24. The flowers bloom in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — with a leg
  2. bulb — of a plant
  3. mine — for digging
  4. cue — for pool
  5. mine — an explosive
  6. wax — to grow
  7. bay — a part of the sea
  8. bay — to keep at bay
  9. stand — on your feet
  10. bulb — for light
  11. cue — a hint
  12. mine — belonging to me
  13. kick — a thrill
  14. bay — a horse colour
  15. wax — in the ear
  16. kick — in football
  17. stand — to bear
  18. spring — a coil
  19. wax — for sculpting
  20. stand — for spectators
  21. cue — a signal
  22. spring — of water
  23. bulb — for light
  24. spring — the season

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