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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. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  2. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  3. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  4. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  5. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  6. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  7. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  8. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  9. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  10. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  11. How do you ________________ your surname?
  12. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  13. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  14. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  15. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  16. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  17. Have you found your soul ________________?
  18. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  19. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  20. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  21. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  22. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  23. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  24. Have you met the new head ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. row — a quarrel
  2. wax — in the ear
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. hide — animal skin
  5. spell — a short time
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. safe — a strongbox
  8. kick — a thrill
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. kick — in football
  11. spell — letters
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. row — to paddle
  14. mate — to breed
  15. wax — to grow
  16. spell — magic
  17. mate — a partner
  18. mate — a friend
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. coach — pulled by horses
  21. kick — with a leg
  22. wax — for sculpting
  23. row — a line
  24. coach — a trainer

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