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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.

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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: kick · board · snap · perch · chest · key · bulb · present

  1. This piece is in a major ________________.
  2. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  3. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  4. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  5. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  6. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  7. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  8. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  9. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  10. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  11. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  12. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  13. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  14. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  15. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  16. The light ________________ burned out.
  17. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  18. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  19. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  20. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  21. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  22. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  23. I've got to change the light ________________.
  24. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.

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

Answer key

  1. key — in music
  2. present — there
  3. chest — of your body
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. bulb — of a plant
  6. kick — a thrill
  7. kick — in football
  8. snap — to click
  9. chest — a box
  10. board — a flat piece
  11. snap — to speak sharply
  12. board — a committee
  13. present — a gift
  14. board — to get on
  15. key — the most important part
  16. bulb — for light
  17. key — for a lock
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. snap — to snap out of it
  20. kick — with a leg
  21. chest — of your body
  22. present — the time now
  23. bulb — for light
  24. perch — the fish

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