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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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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. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  2. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  3. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  4. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  5. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  6. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  7. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  8. Did you ________________ the meat?
  9. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  10. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  11. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  12. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  13. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  14. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  15. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  16. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  17. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  18. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — in football
  2. can — a tin
  3. season — of the year
  4. cue — a hint
  5. season — in sport
  6. can — a tin
  7. cue — for pool
  8. season — to add flavour
  9. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  10. cue — a signal
  11. kick — with a leg
  12. wax — in the ear
  13. kid — to tease
  14. wax — to grow
  15. kid — child
  16. wax — for sculpting
  17. can — to be able to
  18. kick — a thrill

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