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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. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  2. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  3. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  4. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  5. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  6. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  7. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  8. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  9. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  10. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  11. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  12. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  13. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  14. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  15. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  16. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  17. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  18. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  19. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  20. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  21. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  22. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  23. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  24. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — to grow
  2. kick — a thrill
  3. pit — in a race
  4. squash — the sport
  5. pit — a fruit stone
  6. chip — in a computer
  7. straw — dry grass
  8. rock — music
  9. squash — to crush
  10. chip — to eat
  11. toast — a drink to someone
  12. wax — in the ear
  13. toast — bread
  14. straw — to clutch at straws
  15. wax — for sculpting
  16. chip — for betting
  17. rock — a stone
  18. pit — a hole
  19. squash — the vegetable
  20. rock — to move gently
  21. kick — in football
  22. kick — with a leg
  23. straw — a straw man
  24. toast — the most admired

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