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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. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  2. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  3. I'll be taking the ________________.
  4. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  5. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  6. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  7. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  8. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  9. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  10. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  11. I've got to change the light ________________.
  12. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  13. The light ________________ burned out.
  14. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  15. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  16. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  17. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  18. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  19. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  20. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  21. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  22. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  23. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  24. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — a container
  2. deal — a big deal
  3. tube — the underground
  4. rest — what's left
  5. kick — a thrill
  6. rest — a break
  7. present — the time now
  8. lean — thin
  9. deal — to handle
  10. present — a gift
  11. bulb — for light
  12. lean — to rest against
  13. bulb — for light
  14. deal — an agreement
  15. kick — with a leg
  16. present — there
  17. bulb — of a plant
  18. scale — in music
  19. lean — to bend
  20. tube — in a tire
  21. rest — what's left
  22. scale — for weighing
  23. scale — size or range
  24. kick — in football

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