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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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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: ground · fall · lie · kick · mate · mug · bulb · foot

  1. The light ________________ burned out.
  2. Have you found your soul ________________?
  3. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  4. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  5. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  6. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  7. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  8. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  9. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  10. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  11. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  12. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  13. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  14. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  15. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  16. Where did you ________________ them?
  17. I've got to change the light ________________.
  18. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  19. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  20. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  21. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  22. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  23. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  24. There's no middle ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. mate — a partner
  3. foot — the bottom
  4. ground — the earth
  5. mug — a face
  6. fall — to drop
  7. ground — crushed
  8. kick — in football
  9. mate — to breed
  10. lie — to recline
  11. fall — to drop
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. kick — a thrill
  14. foot — a measure
  15. mate — a friend
  16. mug — to rob
  17. bulb — for light
  18. kick — with a leg
  19. mug — a cup
  20. bulb — of a plant
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. foot — part of the body
  23. fall — the season
  24. ground — a position

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