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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  2. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  3. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  4. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  5. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  6. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  7. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  8. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  9. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  10. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  11. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  12. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  13. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  14. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  15. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  16. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  17. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  18. The ball hit the back of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — to put up with
  2. kick — a thrill
  3. net — after costs
  4. cue — for pool
  5. stick — to attach or keep to
  6. cue — a signal
  7. wax — to grow
  8. wax — in the ear
  9. net — for catching
  10. wax — for sculpting
  11. kick — in football
  12. bear — the animal
  13. kick — with a leg
  14. cue — a hint
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. bear — the animal
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. net — in sport

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