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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. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  2. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  3. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  4. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  5. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  6. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  7. The tickets are free of ________________.
  8. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  9. When will it ________________ you to start?
  10. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  11. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  12. That must've been a ________________.
  13. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  14. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  15. David sat on the ________________.
  16. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  17. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  18. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  19. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  20. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  21. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  22. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  23. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  24. Have you settled on a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. kick — with a leg
  2. wind — moving air
  3. kick — a thrill
  4. suit — clothes
  5. suit — in cards
  6. kick — in football
  7. charge — a price
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. suit — to fit
  10. charge — electricity
  11. rush — to hurry
  12. rush — a thrill
  13. wax — in the ear
  14. date — the fruit
  15. swing — to play on
  16. charge — in control
  17. swing — music
  18. wax — for sculpting
  19. wax — to grow
  20. wind — to turn a key
  21. swing — in golf
  22. rush — hurry
  23. wind — moving air
  24. date — on the calendar

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