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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. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  2. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  3. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  4. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  5. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  6. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  7. Where did you ________________ them?
  8. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  9. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  10. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  11. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  12. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  13. Did you ________________ the meat?
  14. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  15. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  16. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  17. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  18. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  19. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  20. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  21. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  22. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  23. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  24. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a face
  2. rest — a break
  3. wax — to grow
  4. season — in sport
  5. wax — in the ear
  6. mug — a cup
  7. mug — to rob
  8. rest — what's left
  9. kick — a thrill
  10. kick — in football
  11. kick — with a leg
  12. firm — decided
  13. season — to add flavour
  14. row — a quarrel
  15. firm — a company
  16. row — a line
  17. board — a committee
  18. season — of the year
  19. wax — for sculpting
  20. row — to paddle
  21. rest — what's left
  22. board — a flat piece
  23. board — to get on
  24. firm — steady

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