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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. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  3. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  4. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  5. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  6. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  7. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  8. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  9. It's one o'clock ________________.
  10. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  11. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  12. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  13. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  14. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  15. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  16. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  17. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  18. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  19. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  20. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  21. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  22. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  23. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  24. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — child
  2. bear — to put up with
  3. march — the month
  4. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  5. lash — a whip stroke
  6. pit — in a race
  7. bear — the animal
  8. march — the month
  9. sharp — exactly
  10. pit — a fruit stone
  11. pit — a hole
  12. wax — in the ear
  13. pass — to spend time
  14. sharp — clever
  15. lash — to lash out
  16. lash — an eyelash
  17. pass — to succeed
  18. pass — a permit
  19. wax — for sculpting
  20. march — music
  21. bear — the animal
  22. sharp — with an edge
  23. wax — to grow
  24. kid — to tease

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