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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. The light ________________ burned out.
  2. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  3. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  4. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  5. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  6. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  7. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  8. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  9. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  10. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  11. False peace will not ________________.
  12. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  13. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  14. My father caught me by the ________________.
  15. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  16. I can't ________________ this cold.
  17. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  18. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  19. That must've been a ________________.
  20. I've got to change the light ________________.
  21. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  22. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  23. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  24. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.

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. jam — to spread on bread
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. arm — a part of something
  6. last — finally
  7. stand — on your feet
  8. kick — in football
  9. rush — hurry
  10. bat — the animal
  11. last — to go on
  12. rush — to hurry
  13. bat — in an idiom
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. stand — for spectators
  16. stand — to bear
  17. kick — with a leg
  18. jam — a tight spot
  19. rush — a thrill
  20. bulb — for light
  21. last — final
  22. bulb — of a plant
  23. bat — for baseball
  24. jam — in traffic

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