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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. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  5. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  6. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  7. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  8. He works in a ________________ mill.
  9. The light ________________ burned out.
  10. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  11. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  12. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  13. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  14. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  15. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  16. We're on a ________________ here.
  17. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  18. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  19. She's very handy with a ________________.
  20. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  21. I've got to change the light ________________.
  22. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  23. My mare is ________________ in color.
  24. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — with a leg
  2. bat — the animal
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. bat — in an idiom
  5. roll — a cake
  6. bass — low music
  7. kick — a thrill
  8. saw — the tool
  9. bulb — for light
  10. fine — high quality
  11. fine — all right
  12. bay — a part of the sea
  13. saw — past of 'see'
  14. kick — in football
  15. bay — to keep at bay
  16. roll — on a roll
  17. bass — the instrument
  18. roll — a list
  19. saw — the tool
  20. bass — the fish
  21. bulb — for light
  22. fine — a penalty
  23. bay — a horse colour
  24. bat — for baseball

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