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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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: bulb · deal · toast · leaves · race · kick · foot · object

  1. I've got to change the light ________________.
  2. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  3. The light ________________ burned out.
  4. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  5. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  6. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  7. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  8. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  9. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  10. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  11. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  12. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  13. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  14. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  15. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  16. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  17. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  18. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  19. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  20. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  21. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  22. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  23. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  24. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. leaves — to go away
  3. bulb — for light
  4. race — the arms race
  5. leaves — lets stay
  6. toast — a drink to someone
  7. foot — the bottom
  8. object — a thing
  9. race — humankind
  10. toast — the most admired
  11. kick — a thrill
  12. deal — a big deal
  13. toast — bread
  14. bulb — of a plant
  15. foot — part of the body
  16. deal — an agreement
  17. leaves — of a tree
  18. foot — a measure
  19. object — to protest
  20. race — a contest
  21. deal — to handle
  22. kick — in football
  23. object — an aim
  24. kick — with a leg

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