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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. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  2. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  3. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  4. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  5. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  6. Have you found your soul ________________?
  7. I can't ________________ this cold.
  8. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  9. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  10. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  11. We're almost out of ________________.
  12. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  13. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  14. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  15. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  16. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  17. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  18. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  19. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  20. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  21. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  22. You don't need to ________________ round.
  23. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  24. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — with a leg
  2. wax — in the ear
  3. spring — the season
  4. wax — for sculpting
  5. kick — a thrill
  6. mate — a partner
  7. stand — to bear
  8. wax — to grow
  9. kick — in football
  10. root — the cause
  11. pop — soda
  12. mate — a friend
  13. stand — for spectators
  14. root — of a plant
  15. spring — a coil
  16. lie — to recline
  17. pop — music
  18. root — of a word
  19. stand — on your feet
  20. spring — of water
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. pop — to visit
  23. mate — to breed
  24. lie — an untruth

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