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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.

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: kick · fan · bulb · fine · foot · court · tear · dip

  1. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  2. I've got to change the light ________________.
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  5. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  6. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  7. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  8. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  9. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  10. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  11. The light ________________ burned out.
  12. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  13. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  14. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  15. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  16. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  17. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  18. The ball is in your ________________.
  19. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  20. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  21. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  22. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  23. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  24. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — high quality
  2. bulb — for light
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. kick — a thrill
  5. court — of a king
  6. kick — with a leg
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. fine — all right
  9. tear — from crying
  10. fine — a penalty
  11. bulb — for light
  12. kick — in football
  13. foot — part of the body
  14. foot — the bottom
  15. court — of law
  16. tear — to rip
  17. dip — a sauce
  18. court — for sport
  19. foot — a measure
  20. fan — to cool the air
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. tear — from crying
  23. dip — to dunk
  24. dip — to sink

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