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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: present · cell · bulb · pit · lean · kick · key · root

  1. The light ________________ burned out.
  2. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  3. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  4. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  5. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  6. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  7. He was locked up in a ________________.
  8. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  9. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  10. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  11. I've got to change the light ________________.
  12. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  13. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  14. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  15. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  16. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  17. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  18. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  19. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  20. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  21. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  22. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  23. This piece is in a major ________________.
  24. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. kick — in football
  3. cell — in biology
  4. kick — a thrill
  5. key — the most important part
  6. key — for a lock
  7. cell — in a prison
  8. pit — in a race
  9. root — the cause
  10. root — of a plant
  11. bulb — for light
  12. present — there
  13. lean — thin
  14. lean — to rest against
  15. pit — a hole
  16. pit — a fruit stone
  17. kick — with a leg
  18. bulb — of a plant
  19. present — the time now
  20. present — a gift
  21. cell — a phone
  22. lean — to bend
  23. key — in music
  24. root — of a word

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