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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. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  3. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  4. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  5. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  6. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  7. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  8. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  9. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  10. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  11. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  12. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  13. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  14. It's one o'clock ________________.
  15. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  16. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  17. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  18. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  19. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  20. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  21. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  22. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  23. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  24. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. kick — in football
  2. firm — decided
  3. branch — a division
  4. wax — to grow
  5. deal — to handle
  6. sharp — clever
  7. kick — with a leg
  8. deal — a big deal
  9. sharp — with an edge
  10. firm — steady
  11. kick — a thrill
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. fan — to cool the air
  14. sharp — exactly
  15. branch — of a tree
  16. content — happy
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. content — videos and posts
  19. firm — a company
  20. content — the amount
  21. deal — an agreement
  22. wax — for sculpting
  23. branch — of a bank
  24. wax — in the ear

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