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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. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  2. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  3. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  4. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  5. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  6. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  7. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  8. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  9. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  10. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  11. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  12. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  13. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  14. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  15. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  16. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  17. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  18. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  19. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  20. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  21. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  22. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  23. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  24. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. kick — with a leg
  3. toast — a drink to someone
  4. scale — size or range
  5. kick — in football
  6. wake — a trail
  7. pound — a weight
  8. snap — to click
  9. kick — a thrill
  10. wax — for sculpting
  11. wax — in the ear
  12. toast — bread
  13. wake — before a funeral
  14. snap — to snap out of it
  15. scale — in music
  16. wax — to grow
  17. scale — for weighing
  18. snap — to speak sharply
  19. can — a tin
  20. wake — to stop sleeping
  21. can — to be able to
  22. pound — to hit hard
  23. pound — for dogs
  24. toast — the most admired

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