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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. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  3. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  4. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  5. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  6. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  7. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  8. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  9. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  10. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  11. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  12. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  13. Have you settled on a ________________?
  14. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  15. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  16. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  17. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  18. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  19. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  20. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  21. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  22. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  23. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  24. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?

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

Answer key

  1. kick — with a leg
  2. kick — in football
  3. wax — in the ear
  4. fan — to cool the air
  5. pit — in a race
  6. tear — from crying
  7. tear — to rip
  8. foot — a measure
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. pit — a hole
  11. mine — for digging
  12. foot — part of the body
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. tear — from crying
  15. mine — an explosive
  16. date — the fruit
  17. wax — to grow
  18. date — on the calendar
  19. pit — a fruit stone
  20. wax — for sculpting
  21. kick — a thrill
  22. mine — belonging to me
  23. foot — the bottom
  24. fan — a supporter

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