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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. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  3. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  4. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  5. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  6. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  7. He is an ace ________________.
  8. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  9. The light ________________ burned out.
  10. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  11. I've got to change the light ________________.
  12. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  13. My mare is ________________ in color.
  14. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  15. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  16. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  17. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  18. The King held a masked ________________.
  19. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  20. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  21. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  22. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  23. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  24. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — with a leg
  2. pit — in a race
  3. ball — a round shape
  4. pit — a fruit stone
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. pitcher — in baseball
  8. lean — to bend
  9. bulb — for light
  10. lean — thin
  11. bulb — for light
  12. kick — a thrill
  13. bay — a horse colour
  14. bay — a part of the sea
  15. lean — to rest against
  16. fine — all right
  17. kick — in football
  18. ball — a dance
  19. bulb — of a plant
  20. ball — a great time
  21. fine — high quality
  22. bay — to keep at bay
  23. pit — a hole
  24. fine — a penalty

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