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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. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  2. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. You don't need to ________________ round.
  5. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  6. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  7. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  8. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  9. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  10. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  11. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  12. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  13. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  14. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  15. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  16. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  17. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  18. I've got to change the light ________________.
  19. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  20. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  21. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  22. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  23. We're almost out of ________________.
  24. The light ________________ burned out.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — with a leg
  2. kick — a thrill
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. pop — to visit
  5. bat — in an idiom
  6. pop — music
  7. wake — before a funeral
  8. bat — for baseball
  9. prune — to trim
  10. wake — to stop sleeping
  11. wake — a trail
  12. kick — in football
  13. cue — for pool
  14. lean — to rest against
  15. cue — a hint
  16. lean — thin
  17. prune — to trim
  18. bulb — for light
  19. cue — a signal
  20. prune — the fruit
  21. lean — to bend
  22. bat — the animal
  23. pop — soda
  24. bulb — for light

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