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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 120 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 hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  3. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  4. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  5. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  6. It's one o'clock ________________.
  7. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  8. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  9. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  10. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  11. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  12. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  13. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  14. Did you ________________ the button?
  15. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  16. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  17. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  18. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  19. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  20. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  21. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  22. Where did you ________________ them?
  23. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  24. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — with a leg
  2. mark — a trace
  3. mug — a face
  4. prune — to trim
  5. kick — a thrill
  6. sharp — exactly
  7. press — newspapers
  8. wax — to grow
  9. wax — for sculpting
  10. sharp — with an edge
  11. press — a publisher
  12. sharp — clever
  13. wax — in the ear
  14. press — to push
  15. pound — to hit hard
  16. mark — to pay attention
  17. mug — a cup
  18. mark — a grade
  19. prune — the fruit
  20. pound — a weight
  21. kick — in football
  22. mug — to rob
  23. pound — for dogs
  24. prune — to trim

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