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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. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  2. The light ________________ burned out.
  3. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  4. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  5. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  6. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  7. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  8. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  9. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  10. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  11. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  12. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  13. Have you found your soul ________________?
  14. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  15. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  16. I've got to change the light ________________.
  17. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  18. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  19. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  20. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  21. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  22. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  23. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  24. I've got the luggage in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — in football
  2. bulb — for light
  3. kick — a thrill
  4. dip — to dunk
  5. track — a song
  6. wake — before a funeral
  7. wound — an injury
  8. trunk — of a tree
  9. wake — to stop sleeping
  10. kick — with a leg
  11. bulb — of a plant
  12. mate — to breed
  13. mate — a partner
  14. dip — a sauce
  15. track — a path
  16. bulb — for light
  17. trunk — of an elephant
  18. track — to keep track
  19. wake — a trail
  20. wound — an injury
  21. dip — to sink
  22. mate — a friend
  23. wound — past of 'wind'
  24. trunk — of a car

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