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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've got to change the light ________________.
  2. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  3. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  4. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  5. Where did you ________________ them?
  6. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  7. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  8. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  9. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  10. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  11. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  12. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  13. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  14. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  15. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  16. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  17. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  18. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  19. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  20. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  21. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  22. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  23. The light ________________ burned out.
  24. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. kick — a thrill
  3. lean — thin
  4. club — a group
  5. mug — to rob
  6. pit — a fruit stone
  7. mug — a face
  8. deal — a big deal
  9. bulb — of a plant
  10. club — for dancing
  11. kick — in football
  12. lean — to rest against
  13. pit — a hole
  14. fall — to drop
  15. lean — to bend
  16. fall — to drop
  17. mug — a cup
  18. pit — in a race
  19. deal — to handle
  20. deal — an agreement
  21. club — for golf
  22. fall — the season
  23. bulb — for light
  24. kick — with a leg

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