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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. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  4. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  5. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  6. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  7. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  8. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  9. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  10. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  11. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  12. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  13. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  14. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  15. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  16. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  17. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  18. I've got to change the light ________________.
  19. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  20. Did you ________________ the meat?
  21. The light ________________ burned out.
  22. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  23. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  24. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.

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. fall — to drop
  4. bulb — of a plant
  5. pass — to succeed
  6. scale — in music
  7. pitch — completely
  8. kick — in football
  9. drill — army training
  10. scale — for weighing
  11. fall — to drop
  12. drill — a practice
  13. pass — to spend time
  14. fall — the season
  15. season — of the year
  16. pitch — a sales talk
  17. pass — a permit
  18. bulb — for light
  19. scale — size or range
  20. season — to add flavour
  21. bulb — for light
  22. pitch — a sports field
  23. kick — a thrill
  24. season — in sport

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