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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. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  3. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  4. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  5. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  6. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  7. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  8. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  9. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  10. Have you found your soul ________________?
  11. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  12. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  13. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  14. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  15. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  16. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  17. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  18. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  19. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  20. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  21. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  22. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  23. Did you ________________ the meat?
  24. Can you turn the ________________ on?

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

Answer key

  1. kick — with a leg
  2. mate — to breed
  3. kick — in football
  4. can — a tin
  5. wax — in the ear
  6. season — of the year
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. can — to be able to
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. mate — a partner
  11. mate — a friend
  12. can — a tin
  13. capital — a city
  14. kick — a thrill
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. capital — a big letter
  17. season — in sport
  18. wax — for sculpting
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. wax — to grow
  21. stick — to attach or keep to
  22. capital — money
  23. season — to add flavour
  24. fan — to cool the air

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