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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. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  2. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  3. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  4. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  5. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  6. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  7. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  8. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  9. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  10. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  11. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  12. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  13. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  14. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  15. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  16. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  17. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  18. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  19. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  20. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  21. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  22. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  23. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  24. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — in football
  2. content — videos and posts
  3. wax — in the ear
  4. kick — a thrill
  5. mouse — for a computer
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. pound — for dogs
  8. staff — a stick
  9. spring — of water
  10. content — the amount
  11. kick — with a leg
  12. pound — a weight
  13. spring — the season
  14. wax — to grow
  15. rest — what's left
  16. staff — employees
  17. rest — what's left
  18. wax — for sculpting
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. rest — a break
  21. spring — a coil
  22. staff — employees
  23. content — happy
  24. pound — to hit hard

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