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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. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  3. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  4. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  5. What do you think of the new ________________?
  6. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  7. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  8. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  9. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  10. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  11. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  12. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  13. When will it ________________ you to start?
  14. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  15. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  16. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  17. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  18. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  19. The light ________________ burned out.
  20. He is an ace ________________.
  21. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  22. I've got to change the light ________________.
  23. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  24. We ________________ up on opposing sides.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — in football
  2. kick — with a leg
  3. rock — to move gently
  4. wound — an injury
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. wind — to turn a key
  7. kick — a thrill
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. bulb — of a plant
  10. wound — an injury
  11. rock — music
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. suit — to fit
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. suit — in cards
  16. rock — a stone
  17. cabinet — a cupboard
  18. wind — moving air
  19. bulb — for light
  20. pitcher — in baseball
  21. suit — clothes
  22. bulb — for light
  23. wind — moving air
  24. wound — past of 'wind'

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