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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 120 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. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  3. The ________________ took off on time.
  4. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  5. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  6. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  7. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  8. I've got to change the light ________________.
  9. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  10. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  11. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  12. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  13. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  14. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  17. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  18. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  19. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  20. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  21. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  22. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  23. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  24. Do you need a ________________ with that?

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

Answer key

  1. kick — with a leg
  2. drill — the tool
  3. plane — an aircraft
  4. deal — a big deal
  5. track — a path
  6. deal — an agreement
  7. hand — in cards
  8. bulb — for light
  9. bulb — of a plant
  10. hand — part of the body
  11. kick — a thrill
  12. plane — in geometry
  13. track — to keep track
  14. deal — to handle
  15. bulb — for light
  16. leaves — lets stay
  17. leaves — to go away
  18. track — a song
  19. drill — army training
  20. kick — in football
  21. drill — a practice
  22. plane — a tool
  23. leaves — of a tree
  24. hand — help

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