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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. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  2. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  3. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  4. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  5. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  6. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  7. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  8. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  9. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  10. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  11. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  12. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  13. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  14. I'll be taking the ________________.
  15. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  16. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  17. The ________________ went through the wall.
  18. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  19. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  20. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  21. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  22. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  23. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  24. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a hole
  2. mine — for digging
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. tube — a container
  5. wax — in the ear
  6. pit — in a race
  7. tube — in a tire
  8. bass — the instrument
  9. wax — to grow
  10. kick — in football
  11. kick — a thrill
  12. kick — with a leg
  13. wax — for sculpting
  14. tube — the underground
  15. pit — a fruit stone
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. bass — the fish
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. mine — an explosive
  21. bass — low music
  22. nail — on a finger
  23. calf — of the leg
  24. mine — belonging to me

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