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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. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  2. I'll be taking the ________________.
  3. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  4. What do you think of the new ________________?
  5. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  6. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  7. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  8. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  9. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  10. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  11. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  12. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  13. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  14. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  15. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  16. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  17. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  18. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  19. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  20. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  21. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  22. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  23. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  24. Let us try to swim against the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — a cupboard
  2. tube — the underground
  3. kid — to tease
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. track — to keep track
  6. cue — for pool
  7. kick — with a leg
  8. track — a song
  9. kick — in football
  10. kick — a thrill
  11. tube — a container
  12. kid — child
  13. wax — in the ear
  14. wax — to grow
  15. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. cue — a signal
  18. tube — in a tire
  19. track — a path
  20. current — happening now
  21. cue — a hint
  22. current — electric
  23. wax — for sculpting
  24. current — of water

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