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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'll take my ________________ from you.
  2. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  3. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  4. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  5. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  6. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  7. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  8. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  9. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  10. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  11. That was a fun ________________.
  12. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  13. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  14. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  15. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  16. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  17. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  18. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  19. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  20. How do you ________________ your surname?
  21. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  22. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  23. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  24. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a hint
  2. kick — in football
  3. game — wild animals
  4. wax — to grow
  5. game — a kind of play
  6. pass — to spend time
  7. cap — a hat
  8. cue — a signal
  9. kick — a thrill
  10. pass — to succeed
  11. game — a match
  12. cue — for pool
  13. cap — a lid
  14. pit — in a race
  15. pit — a fruit stone
  16. pit — a hole
  17. wax — for sculpting
  18. pass — a permit
  19. wax — in the ear
  20. spell — letters
  21. spell — magic
  22. cap — of ice
  23. spell — a short time
  24. kick — with a leg

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