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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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 seem to be developing a ________________.
  3. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  4. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  5. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  6. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  7. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  8. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  9. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  10. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  11. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  12. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  13. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  14. I've got to change the light ________________.
  15. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  16. The light ________________ burned out.
  17. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  18. Don't do anything ________________.
  19. My father caught me by the ________________.
  20. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  21. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  22. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  23. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  24. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — with a leg
  2. rash — on the skin
  3. kick — in football
  4. pitch — a sports field
  5. lash — an eyelash
  6. bulb — of a plant
  7. race — a contest
  8. lash — to lash out
  9. fork — to eat with
  10. rash — a series
  11. fork — a garden tool
  12. race — humankind
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. bulb — for light
  15. pitch — completely
  16. bulb — for light
  17. fork — in a road
  18. rash — hasty
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. pitch — a sales talk
  21. race — the arms race
  22. lash — a whip stroke
  23. arm — a part of something
  24. kick — a thrill

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