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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. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  3. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  4. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  5. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  6. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  7. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  8. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  9. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  10. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  11. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  12. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  13. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  14. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  15. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  16. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  17. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  18. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  19. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  20. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  21. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  22. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  23. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  24. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — with a leg
  2. wax — for sculpting
  3. can — a tin
  4. can — a tin
  5. drill — a practice
  6. track — to keep track
  7. track — a song
  8. leaves — of a tree
  9. pitch — a sales talk
  10. kick — a thrill
  11. leaves — lets stay
  12. wax — to grow
  13. can — to be able to
  14. track — a path
  15. drill — army training
  16. pitch — a sports field
  17. fine — high quality
  18. wax — in the ear
  19. pitch — completely
  20. drill — the tool
  21. fine — a penalty
  22. fine — all right
  23. leaves — to go away
  24. kick — in football

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