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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. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  2. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  3. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  4. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  5. The King held a masked ________________.
  6. She's very handy with a ________________.
  7. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  8. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  9. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  10. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  11. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  12. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  13. Don't do anything ________________.
  14. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  15. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  16. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  17. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  18. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  19. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  20. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  21. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  22. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  23. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  24. He works in a ________________ mill.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — for sculpting
  2. toast — the most admired
  3. toast — a drink to someone
  4. toast — bread
  5. ball — a dance
  6. saw — the tool
  7. pound — for dogs
  8. ball — a great time
  9. wax — to grow
  10. rash — a series
  11. kick — in football
  12. rash — on the skin
  13. rash — hasty
  14. rock — a stone
  15. rock — to move gently
  16. kick — with a leg
  17. pound — to hit hard
  18. kick — a thrill
  19. rock — music
  20. pound — a weight
  21. saw — past of 'see'
  22. wax — in the ear
  23. ball — a round shape
  24. saw — the tool

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