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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 116 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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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: lean · fall · cap · kick · sharp · pit · bulb · ball

  1. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  2. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  3. The light ________________ burned out.
  4. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  5. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  6. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  7. I've got to change the light ________________.
  8. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  9. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  10. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  11. It's one o'clock ________________.
  12. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  13. The King held a masked ________________.
  14. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  15. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  16. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  17. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  18. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  19. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  20. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  21. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  22. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  23. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  24. He is as ________________ as a wolf.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — in football
  2. fall — the season
  3. bulb — for light
  4. fall — to drop
  5. pit — in a race
  6. sharp — clever
  7. bulb — for light
  8. cap — of ice
  9. ball — a great time
  10. cap — a lid
  11. sharp — exactly
  12. lean — to rest against
  13. ball — a dance
  14. fall — to drop
  15. pit — a hole
  16. cap — a hat
  17. bulb — of a plant
  18. pit — a fruit stone
  19. kick — a thrill
  20. lean — to bend
  21. ball — a round shape
  22. kick — with a leg
  23. sharp — with an edge
  24. lean — thin

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