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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 120 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 moon will ________________ and wane.
  3. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  4. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  5. He is an ace ________________.
  6. That was ________________ to happen.
  7. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  8. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  9. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  10. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  11. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  12. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  13. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  14. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  15. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  16. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  17. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  18. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  19. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  20. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  21. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  22. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  23. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  24. She had a strange look on her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — in football
  2. wax — to grow
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. kick — with a leg
  5. pitcher — in baseball
  6. bound — certain
  7. vault — an arched ceiling
  8. hide — animal skin
  9. kick — a thrill
  10. squash — the sport
  11. wax — in the ear
  12. face — to confront
  13. wax — for sculpting
  14. squash — the vegetable
  15. bound — tied together
  16. face — to point toward
  17. squash — to crush
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. vault — in gymnastics
  21. bound — obliged
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. vault — a safe
  24. face — part of the head

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