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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. The ________________ took off on time.
  2. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  3. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  4. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  5. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  6. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  7. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  10. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  11. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  12. We're on a ________________ here.
  13. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  14. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  15. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  16. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  17. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  18. I've got to change the light ________________.
  19. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  20. I can't ________________ this cold.
  21. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  22. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  23. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  24. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — an aircraft
  2. kick — with a leg
  3. wave — with your hand
  4. kick — a thrill
  5. wave — a sudden rise
  6. wave — of the sea
  7. bulb — of a plant
  8. bulb — for light
  9. chair — a leader
  10. fall — to drop
  11. chair — to sit on
  12. roll — on a roll
  13. roll — a list
  14. stand — for spectators
  15. chair — a professorship
  16. fall — the season
  17. fall — to drop
  18. bulb — for light
  19. kick — in football
  20. stand — to bear
  21. roll — a cake
  22. plane — in geometry
  23. plane — a tool
  24. stand — on your feet

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