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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. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  3. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  6. Did you ________________ the button?
  7. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  8. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  9. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  10. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  11. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  12. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  13. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  14. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  15. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  16. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  17. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  18. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  19. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  20. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  21. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  22. I've got to change the light ________________.
  23. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  24. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — with a leg
  2. row — to paddle
  3. row — a line
  4. bulb — for light
  5. pit — a hole
  6. press — to push
  7. kick — a thrill
  8. wax — in the ear
  9. object — an aim
  10. kick — in football
  11. row — a quarrel
  12. pit — a fruit stone
  13. object — a thing
  14. bark — to shout
  15. bark — a dog's sound
  16. pit — in a race
  17. wax — for sculpting
  18. wax — to grow
  19. bulb — of a plant
  20. object — to protest
  21. bark — of a tree
  22. bulb — for light
  23. press — a publisher
  24. press — newspapers

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