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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. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  2. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  3. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  4. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  5. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  6. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  7. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  8. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  9. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  10. It's one o'clock ________________.
  11. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  12. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  13. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  14. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  15. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  16. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  17. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  18. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  19. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  20. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  21. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  22. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  23. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  24. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — in football
  2. pound — for dogs
  3. patient — calm and waiting
  4. face — to point toward
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. wax — in the ear
  7. pound — to hit hard
  8. wax — for sculpting
  9. wake — a trail
  10. sharp — exactly
  11. face — part of the head
  12. kick — a thrill
  13. face — to confront
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. sharp — with an edge
  16. sharp — clever
  17. pound — a weight
  18. wax — to grow
  19. can — a tin
  20. can — to be able to
  21. wake — to stop sleeping
  22. kick — with a leg
  23. can — a tin
  24. wake — before a funeral

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