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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. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  2. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  3. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  4. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  5. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  6. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  7. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  8. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  9. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  10. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  11. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  12. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  13. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  14. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  15. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  16. When was this ________________ built?
  17. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  18. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  19. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  20. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  21. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  22. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  23. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  24. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. wave — with your hand
  3. kick — with a leg
  4. wax — to grow
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. kick — a thrill
  9. kick — in football
  10. chair — to sit on
  11. fan — to cool the air
  12. row — to paddle
  13. wax — for sculpting
  14. row — a line
  15. chair — a leader
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. chair — a professorship
  18. temple — side of the head
  19. wax — in the ear
  20. hide — animal skin
  21. wave — of the sea
  22. row — a quarrel
  23. wave — a sudden rise
  24. hide — to keep secret

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