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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. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  2. He works in a ________________ mill.
  3. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  4. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  5. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  6. I've got to change the light ________________.
  7. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  8. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  9. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  10. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  11. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  12. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  13. She's very handy with a ________________.
  14. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  15. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  16. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  17. We're on a ________________ here.
  18. Don't do anything ________________.
  19. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  20. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  21. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  22. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  23. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  24. The light ________________ burned out.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — with a leg
  2. saw — the tool
  3. mine — belonging to me
  4. rash — on the skin
  5. bulb — of a plant
  6. bulb — for light
  7. roll — a list
  8. kick — a thrill
  9. saw — past of 'see'
  10. roll — a cake
  11. kick — in football
  12. toast — bread
  13. saw — the tool
  14. mine — an explosive
  15. vault — a safe
  16. toast — the most admired
  17. roll — on a roll
  18. rash — hasty
  19. toast — a drink to someone
  20. vault — in gymnastics
  21. vault — an arched ceiling
  22. rash — a series
  23. mine — for digging
  24. bulb — for light

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