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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. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  2. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  3. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  4. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  5. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  6. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  7. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  8. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  9. I've got to change the light ________________.
  10. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  11. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  12. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  13. Have you settled on a ________________?
  14. The light ________________ burned out.
  15. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  16. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  17. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  18. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  19. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  20. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  21. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  22. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  23. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  24. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — in football
  2. row — a quarrel
  3. race — humankind
  4. cap — of ice
  5. foot — the bottom
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. foot — part of the body
  8. race — a contest
  9. bulb — for light
  10. bulb — of a plant
  11. kick — with a leg
  12. row — a line
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. bulb — for light
  15. foot — a measure
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. cap — a hat
  18. race — the arms race
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. row — to paddle
  21. date — the fruit
  22. cap — a lid
  23. kick — a thrill
  24. patient — calm and waiting

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