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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. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  2. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  3. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  4. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  5. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  6. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  7. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  8. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  9. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  10. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  11. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  12. The King held a masked ________________.
  13. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  14. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  15. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  16. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  17. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  18. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  19. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  20. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  21. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  22. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  23. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  24. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — past of 'wind'
  2. pitch — completely
  3. kick — with a leg
  4. firm — a company
  5. wax — in the ear
  6. firm — decided
  7. bowl — a football final
  8. kick — a thrill
  9. wound — an injury
  10. pitch — a sports field
  11. bowl — a dish
  12. ball — a dance
  13. wax — to grow
  14. ball — a round shape
  15. wax — for sculpting
  16. pitch — a sales talk
  17. leaves — lets stay
  18. bowl — to roll
  19. ball — a great time
  20. firm — steady
  21. leaves — to go away
  22. leaves — of a tree
  23. kick — in football
  24. wound — an injury

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