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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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468
Word bank
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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. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  2. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  3. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  4. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  5. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  6. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  7. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  8. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  9. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  10. Where did you ________________ them?
  11. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  12. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  13. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  14. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  15. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  16. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  17. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  18. Have you met the new head ________________?
  19. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  20. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  21. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  22. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  23. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  24. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — in the ear
  2. kick — with a leg
  3. cue — a hint
  4. wax — to grow
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. object — a thing
  8. leaves — of a tree
  9. perch — the fish
  10. mug — to rob
  11. cue — a signal
  12. coach — pulled by horses
  13. kick — a thrill
  14. object — to protest
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. kick — in football
  17. leaves — to go away
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. leaves — lets stay
  20. mug — a cup
  21. object — an aim
  22. wax — for sculpting
  23. mug — a face
  24. cue — for pool

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