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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: pound · lean · arm · stem · mug · kick · game · bulb

  1. I've got to change the light ________________.
  2. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  3. Where did you ________________ them?
  4. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  5. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  6. The light ________________ burned out.
  7. My father caught me by the ________________.
  8. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  9. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  10. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  11. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  12. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  13. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  14. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  15. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  16. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  17. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  18. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  19. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  20. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  21. That was a fun ________________.
  22. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  23. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  24. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. game — wild animals
  3. mug — to rob
  4. pound — for dogs
  5. kick — with a leg
  6. bulb — for light
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. lean — thin
  9. lean — to bend
  10. mug — a face
  11. arm — a part of something
  12. pound — to hit hard
  13. stem — of a plant
  14. mug — a cup
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. lean — to rest against
  17. stem — a stem cell
  18. kick — in football
  19. stem — to come from
  20. pound — a weight
  21. game — a match
  22. bulb — of a plant
  23. kick — a thrill
  24. game — a kind of play

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