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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. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  2. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  3. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  4. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  5. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  6. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  7. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  8. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  9. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  10. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  11. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  12. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  13. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  14. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  15. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  16. Where did you ________________ them?
  17. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  18. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  19. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  20. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  21. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  22. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  23. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  24. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — in football
  2. wax — for sculpting
  3. firm — a company
  4. spring — the season
  5. kick — with a leg
  6. wax — in the ear
  7. kick — a thrill
  8. firm — steady
  9. mug — a face
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. deal — an agreement
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. cap — a lid
  14. spring — a coil
  15. deal — to handle
  16. mug — to rob
  17. spring — of water
  18. wax — to grow
  19. cap — of ice
  20. mug — a cup
  21. deal — a big deal
  22. fan — to cool the air
  23. firm — decided
  24. cap — a hat

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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