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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: bulb · game · fall · current · kick · scale · mate · lash

  1. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  2. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  3. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  4. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  5. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  6. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  7. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  8. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  9. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  10. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  11. Have you found your soul ________________?
  12. The light ________________ burned out.
  13. That was a fun ________________.
  14. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  15. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  16. I've got to change the light ________________.
  17. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  18. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  19. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  20. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  21. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  22. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  23. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  24. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a kind of play
  2. kick — a thrill
  3. mate — a friend
  4. scale — for weighing
  5. kick — in football
  6. current — of water
  7. fall — the season
  8. lash — a whip stroke
  9. scale — size or range
  10. fall — to drop
  11. mate — a partner
  12. bulb — for light
  13. game — a match
  14. scale — in music
  15. current — electric
  16. bulb — for light
  17. kick — with a leg
  18. lash — an eyelash
  19. fall — to drop
  20. game — wild animals
  21. current — happening now
  22. mate — to breed
  23. bulb — of a plant
  24. lash — to lash out

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