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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've got to change the light ________________.
  2. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  3. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  4. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  5. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  6. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  7. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  8. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  9. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  10. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  11. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  12. The ________________ went through the wall.
  13. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  14. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  15. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  16. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  17. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  18. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  19. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  20. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  21. The light ________________ burned out.
  22. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  23. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  24. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. kick — a thrill
  3. kick — with a leg
  4. bulb — of a plant
  5. bowl — to roll
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. lean — thin
  8. lean — to rest against
  9. stem — of a plant
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. stem — to come from
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. net — in sport
  14. lean — to bend
  15. bowl — a dish
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. bowl — a football final
  18. net — after costs
  19. kick — in football
  20. fan — to cool the air
  21. bulb — for light
  22. net — for catching
  23. nail — on a finger
  24. stem — a stem cell

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