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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. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  4. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  5. The tickets are free of ________________.
  6. Have you found your soul ________________?
  7. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  8. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  9. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  10. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  11. I've got to change the light ________________.
  12. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  13. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  14. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  15. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  16. What do you think of the new ________________?
  17. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  18. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  19. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  20. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  21. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  22. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  23. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  24. A black ________________ roamed the forest.

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. cabinet — ministers
  4. kick — with a leg
  5. charge — a price
  6. mate — a partner
  7. band — a ring
  8. kick — in football
  9. charge — in control
  10. foot — the bottom
  11. bulb — for light
  12. cabinet — a cupboard
  13. foot — part of the body
  14. band — a music group
  15. foot — a measure
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. bear — the animal
  18. bulb — of a plant
  19. mate — a friend
  20. bear — to put up with
  21. charge — electricity
  22. mate — to breed
  23. band — a rubber band
  24. bear — the animal

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