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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. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  2. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  3. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  4. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  5. That must've been a ________________.
  6. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  7. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  8. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  9. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  10. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  11. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  12. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  13. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  14. I can't ________________ this cold.
  15. Where did you ________________ them?
  16. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  17. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  18. He was locked up in a ________________.
  19. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  20. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  21. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  22. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  23. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  24. A black ________________ roamed the forest.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a cup
  2. kick — with a leg
  3. cell — in biology
  4. row — to paddle
  5. rush — a thrill
  6. kick — in football
  7. wax — in the ear
  8. rush — to hurry
  9. stand — on your feet
  10. rush — hurry
  11. wax — to grow
  12. bear — the animal
  13. row — a line
  14. stand — to bear
  15. mug — to rob
  16. cell — a phone
  17. mug — a face
  18. cell — in a prison
  19. wax — for sculpting
  20. bear — to put up with
  21. kick — a thrill
  22. stand — for spectators
  23. row — a quarrel
  24. bear — the animal

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