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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 had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  2. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  3. She's very handy with a ________________.
  4. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  5. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  6. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  7. The light ________________ burned out.
  8. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  9. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  10. He works in a ________________ mill.
  11. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  12. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  13. My mare is ________________ in color.
  14. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  15. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  16. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  17. I've got to change the light ________________.
  18. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  19. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  20. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  21. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  22. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  23. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  24. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — child
  2. rest — what's left
  3. saw — the tool
  4. bulb — of a plant
  5. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  6. wax — to grow
  7. bulb — for light
  8. rest — what's left
  9. wax — for sculpting
  10. saw — the tool
  11. kick — a thrill
  12. bay — a part of the sea
  13. bay — a horse colour
  14. kid — to tease
  15. lash — to lash out
  16. rest — a break
  17. bulb — for light
  18. lash — an eyelash
  19. lash — a whip stroke
  20. wax — in the ear
  21. kick — in football
  22. bay — to keep at bay
  23. kick — with a leg
  24. saw — past of 'see'

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