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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. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  2. The light ________________ burned out.
  3. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  4. I've got to change the light ________________.
  5. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  6. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  7. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  8. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  9. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  10. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  11. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  12. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  13. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  14. When was this ________________ built?
  15. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  16. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  17. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  18. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  19. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  20. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  21. That was ________________ to happen.
  22. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  23. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  24. ________________ you help me carry this box?

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

Answer key

  1. hand — help
  2. bulb — for light
  3. kick — in football
  4. bulb — for light
  5. march — the month
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. hand — in cards
  8. hand — part of the body
  9. kick — a thrill
  10. march — music
  11. kick — with a leg
  12. can — a tin
  13. shower — rain
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. bound — obliged
  16. shower — to wash
  17. bound — tied together
  18. shower — a meteor shower
  19. temple — side of the head
  20. can — a tin
  21. bound — certain
  22. march — the month
  23. bulb — of a plant
  24. can — to be able to

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