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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. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  2. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  3. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  4. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  5. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  6. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  7. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  8. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  9. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  10. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  11. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  12. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  13. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  14. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  15. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  16. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  17. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  18. My mare is ________________ in color.
  19. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  20. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  21. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  22. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  23. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  24. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — child
  2. wax — to grow
  3. kick — with a leg
  4. cue — for pool
  5. wax — for sculpting
  6. lash — to lash out
  7. wake — to stop sleeping
  8. bay — a part of the sea
  9. cue — a hint
  10. pass — a permit
  11. cue — a signal
  12. wake — before a funeral
  13. lash — an eyelash
  14. kid — to tease
  15. lash — a whip stroke
  16. kick — in football
  17. kick — a thrill
  18. bay — a horse colour
  19. pass — to succeed
  20. wake — a trail
  21. wax — in the ear
  22. pass — to spend time
  23. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  24. bay — to keep at bay

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