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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: pit · bulb · kick · lie · clip · chair · mouse · kid

  1. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  2. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  5. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  6. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  7. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  8. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  9. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  10. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  11. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  12. The light ________________ burned out.
  13. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  14. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  15. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  16. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  17. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  18. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  19. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  20. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  21. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  22. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  23. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  24. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. chair — a leader
  3. bulb — for light
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. pit — in a race
  6. pit — a fruit stone
  7. lie — to recline
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. clip — a video
  10. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  11. kick — with a leg
  12. bulb — for light
  13. bulb — of a plant
  14. chair — a professorship
  15. clip — to cut
  16. kid — child
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. kid — to tease
  19. kick — in football
  20. kick — a thrill
  21. clip — for paper
  22. pit — a hole
  23. mouse — for a computer
  24. chair — to sit on

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