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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: fine · wound · kick · lean · game · key · net · bulb

  1. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  2. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  3. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  4. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  5. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  6. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  7. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  10. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  11. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  12. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  13. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  14. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  15. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  16. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  17. I've got to change the light ________________.
  18. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  19. That was a fun ________________.
  20. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  21. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  22. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  23. This piece is in a major ________________.
  24. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. lean — thin
  3. net — in sport
  4. net — after costs
  5. wound — an injury
  6. net — for catching
  7. bulb — of a plant
  8. bulb — for light
  9. lean — to bend
  10. kick — with a leg
  11. kick — a thrill
  12. game — wild animals
  13. fine — a penalty
  14. lean — to rest against
  15. key — for a lock
  16. wound — past of 'wind'
  17. bulb — for light
  18. fine — all right
  19. game — a match
  20. game — a kind of play
  21. fine — high quality
  22. key — the most important part
  23. key — in music
  24. kick — in football

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