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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. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  2. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  3. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  4. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  5. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  6. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  7. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  8. When was this ________________ built?
  9. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  10. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  11. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  12. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  13. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  14. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  15. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  16. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  17. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  18. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  19. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  20. That was ________________ to happen.
  21. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  22. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  23. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  24. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — in a race
  2. kick — with a leg
  3. pit — a fruit stone
  4. kick — a thrill
  5. mouse — for a computer
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. deal — to handle
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. clip — for paper
  10. bound — obliged
  11. bound — tied together
  12. temple — side of the head
  13. deal — an agreement
  14. pit — a hole
  15. clip — to cut
  16. clip — a video
  17. wax — to grow
  18. wax — for sculpting
  19. wax — in the ear
  20. bound — certain
  21. deal — a big deal
  22. kick — in football
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. mouse — the animal

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