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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. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  2. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  3. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  4. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  5. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  6. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  7. Have you met the new head ________________?
  8. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  9. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  10. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  11. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  12. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  13. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  14. Where did you ________________ them?
  15. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  16. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  17. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  18. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  19. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  20. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  21. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  22. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  23. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  24. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — with a leg
  2. coach — pulled by horses
  3. kick — in football
  4. current — electric
  5. mug — a cup
  6. pit — in a race
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. mug — a face
  9. wax — for sculpting
  10. wax — to grow
  11. mark — a grade
  12. current — happening now
  13. current — of water
  14. mug — to rob
  15. kick — a thrill
  16. pit — a hole
  17. mark — to pay attention
  18. mark — a trace
  19. wax — in the ear
  20. race — humankind
  21. pit — a fruit stone
  22. race — a contest
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. race — the arms race

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