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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. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  2. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  3. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  4. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  5. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  6. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  7. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  8. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  9. Did you ________________ the button?
  10. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  11. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  12. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  13. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  14. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  15. You don't need to ________________ round.
  16. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  17. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  18. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  19. We're almost out of ________________.
  20. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  21. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  22. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  23. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  24. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.

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

Answer key

  1. object — an aim
  2. kick — with a leg
  3. wax — in the ear
  4. object — a thing
  5. deal — a big deal
  6. wax — for sculpting
  7. object — to protest
  8. pop — music
  9. press — to push
  10. deal — to handle
  11. wax — to grow
  12. press — newspapers
  13. dip — to sink
  14. kick — in football
  15. pop — to visit
  16. hand — part of the body
  17. dip — a sauce
  18. press — a publisher
  19. pop — soda
  20. kick — a thrill
  21. deal — an agreement
  22. hand — in cards
  23. hand — help
  24. dip — to dunk

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