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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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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. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  2. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  3. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  4. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  5. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  6. The ________________ went through the wall.
  7. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  8. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  9. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  10. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  11. What do you think of the new ________________?
  12. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  13. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  14. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  15. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  16. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  17. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  18. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  19. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  20. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  21. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  22. The water is too ________________.
  23. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  24. The moon will ________________ and wane.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — a thrill
  2. pit — a fruit stone
  3. can — to be able to
  4. kick — with a leg
  5. wax — in the ear
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. kick — in football
  8. nail — on a finger
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. cold — an illness
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. can — a tin
  13. ruler — a monarch
  14. wax — for sculpting
  15. cold — the Cold War
  16. can — a tin
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. cabinet — a cupboard
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. pit — in a race
  22. cold — not warm
  23. pit — a hole
  24. wax — to grow

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