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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. He was locked up in a ________________.
  2. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  3. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  4. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  5. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  6. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  7. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  8. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  9. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  10. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  11. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  12. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  13. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  14. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  15. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  16. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  17. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  18. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  19. The ________________ went through the wall.
  20. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  21. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  22. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  23. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  24. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in a prison
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. kick — a thrill
  4. kid — to tease
  5. safe — a strongbox
  6. wax — in the ear
  7. kick — in football
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. wax — for sculpting
  12. wax — to grow
  13. fall — to drop
  14. fall — the season
  15. cell — in biology
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. nail — on a finger
  18. kick — with a leg
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. kid — child
  21. fall — to drop
  22. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  23. fan — to cool the air
  24. cell — a phone

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