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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 116 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. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  3. The water is too ________________.
  4. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  5. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  6. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  7. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  8. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  9. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  10. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  11. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  12. The light ________________ burned out.
  13. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  14. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  15. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  16. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  17. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  18. I've got to change the light ________________.
  19. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  20. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  21. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  22. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  23. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  24. The ball hit the back of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — in football
  2. cold — the Cold War
  3. cold — not warm
  4. prune — to trim
  5. kick — with a leg
  6. face — to confront
  7. kick — a thrill
  8. prune — the fruit
  9. can — to be able to
  10. cold — an illness
  11. mine — for digging
  12. bulb — for light
  13. face — to point toward
  14. bulb — of a plant
  15. face — part of the head
  16. prune — to trim
  17. can — a tin
  18. bulb — for light
  19. net — after costs
  20. can — a tin
  21. net — for catching
  22. mine — an explosive
  23. mine — belonging to me
  24. net — in sport

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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