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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. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  3. The light ________________ burned out.
  4. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  5. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  6. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  7. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  8. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  9. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  10. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  11. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  12. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  13. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  14. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  15. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  16. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  17. When will it ________________ you to start?
  18. I've got to change the light ________________.
  19. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  20. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  21. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  22. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  23. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  24. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — with a leg
  2. kick — a thrill
  3. bulb — for light
  4. deal — to handle
  5. face — part of the head
  6. face — to point toward
  7. prune — the fruit
  8. suit — in cards
  9. prune — to trim
  10. craft — boats
  11. craft — a skill
  12. suit — clothes
  13. face — to confront
  14. deal — a big deal
  15. craft — a handicraft
  16. drill — army training
  17. suit — to fit
  18. bulb — for light
  19. drill — the tool
  20. kick — in football
  21. prune — to trim
  22. drill — a practice
  23. deal — an agreement
  24. bulb — of a plant

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