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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. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  2. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  3. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  4. The King held a masked ________________.
  5. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  6. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  7. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  8. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  9. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  10. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  11. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  12. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  13. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  14. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  15. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  16. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  17. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  18. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  19. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  20. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  21. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  22. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  23. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  24. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — in football
  2. current — happening now
  3. content — the amount
  4. ball — a dance
  5. kick — a thrill
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. calf — of the leg
  9. hide — animal skin
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. current — of water
  12. wax — in the ear
  13. wax — for sculpting
  14. content — happy
  15. ball — a round shape
  16. wax — to grow
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. content — videos and posts
  19. current — electric
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. kick — with a leg
  22. ball — a great time
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. racket — a loud noise

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