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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. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  2. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  3. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  4. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  5. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  6. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  7. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  8. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  9. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  10. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  11. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  12. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  13. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  14. How do you ________________ your surname?
  15. I've got to change the light ________________.
  16. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  17. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  18. The light ________________ burned out.
  19. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  20. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  21. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  22. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  23. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  24. We had a fire ________________ at school today.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — in football
  2. pitch — a sports field
  3. lean — thin
  4. kick — a thrill
  5. lean — to rest against
  6. pitch — completely
  7. drill — the tool
  8. pitch — a sales talk
  9. spell — magic
  10. face — to confront
  11. kick — with a leg
  12. face — part of the head
  13. spell — a short time
  14. spell — letters
  15. bulb — for light
  16. mark — to pay attention
  17. bulb — of a plant
  18. bulb — for light
  19. drill — army training
  20. face — to point toward
  21. lean — to bend
  22. mark — a trace
  23. mark — a grade
  24. drill — a practice

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