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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 120 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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Word bank
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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: arm · wound · foot · rock · charge · kick · bulb · fall

  1. My father caught me by the ________________.
  2. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  5. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  6. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  7. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  10. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  11. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  12. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  13. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  14. The tickets are free of ________________.
  15. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  16. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  17. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  18. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  19. I've got to change the light ________________.
  20. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  21. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  22. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  23. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  24. I have a corn on my right ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. rock — music
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. foot — the bottom
  5. rock — a stone
  6. wound — past of 'wind'
  7. fall — the season
  8. bulb — for light
  9. wound — an injury
  10. rock — to move gently
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. kick — in football
  13. wound — an injury
  14. charge — a price
  15. charge — in control
  16. fall — to drop
  17. foot — a measure
  18. kick — with a leg
  19. bulb — for light
  20. charge — electricity
  21. arm — a part of something
  22. kick — a thrill
  23. fall — to drop
  24. foot — part of the body

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