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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. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  2. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  3. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  4. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  5. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  6. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  7. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  8. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  9. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  10. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  11. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  12. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  13. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  14. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  15. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  16. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  17. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  18. He is an ace ________________.
  19. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  20. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  21. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  22. That must've been a ________________.
  23. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  24. I've got the luggage in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — with a leg
  2. wax — in the ear
  3. trunk — of a tree
  4. net — for catching
  5. wax — to grow
  6. craft — boats
  7. rest — a break
  8. rush — to hurry
  9. craft — a handicraft
  10. rest — what's left
  11. kick — a thrill
  12. craft — a skill
  13. rest — what's left
  14. net — after costs
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. rush — hurry
  17. kick — in football
  18. pitcher — in baseball
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. wax — for sculpting
  21. net — in sport
  22. rush — a thrill
  23. trunk — of an elephant
  24. trunk — of a car

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