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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 116 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. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  2. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  3. That was ________________ to happen.
  4. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  5. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  6. The light ________________ burned out.
  7. I've got to change the light ________________.
  8. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  9. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  10. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  11. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  12. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  13. It's one o'clock ________________.
  14. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  15. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  16. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  17. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  18. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  19. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  20. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  21. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  22. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  23. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  24. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — in football
  2. present — there
  3. bound — certain
  4. present — the time now
  5. wax — to grow
  6. bulb — for light
  7. bulb — for light
  8. wax — in the ear
  9. bulb — of a plant
  10. bound — obliged
  11. fall — to drop
  12. bound — tied together
  13. sharp — exactly
  14. sharp — clever
  15. present — a gift
  16. fall — to drop
  17. fall — the season
  18. rest — a break
  19. rest — what's left
  20. sharp — with an edge
  21. rest — what's left
  22. kick — with a leg
  23. kick — a thrill
  24. wax — for sculpting

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