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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. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  2. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  3. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  4. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  5. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  6. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  7. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  8. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  9. The light ________________ burned out.
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  12. It's one o'clock ________________.
  13. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  14. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  15. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  16. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  17. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  18. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  19. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  20. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  21. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  22. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  23. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  24. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. bore — to tire
  3. club — a group
  4. kick — in football
  5. club — for golf
  6. kick — with a leg
  7. sharp — clever
  8. bore — to drill
  9. bulb — for light
  10. bulb — for light
  11. pit — a fruit stone
  12. sharp — exactly
  13. cap — a lid
  14. pit — in a race
  15. bore — gave birth
  16. club — for dancing
  17. bulb — of a plant
  18. sharp — with an edge
  19. cap — a hat
  20. pit — a hole
  21. kick — a thrill
  22. fall — the season
  23. cap — of ice
  24. fall — to drop

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