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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 120 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. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  2. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  3. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  4. When will it ________________ you to start?
  5. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  6. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  7. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  8. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  9. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  10. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  11. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  12. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  13. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  14. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  15. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  16. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  17. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  18. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  19. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  20. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  21. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  22. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  23. He is an ace ________________.
  24. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. staff — a stick
  3. kick — with a leg
  4. suit — to fit
  5. bark — a dog's sound
  6. wax — in the ear
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. bark — to shout
  9. kick — a thrill
  10. fine — a penalty
  11. kick — in football
  12. wax — for sculpting
  13. bark — of a tree
  14. fine — high quality
  15. staff — employees
  16. suit — clothes
  17. wax — to grow
  18. pit — a fruit stone
  19. pit — in a race
  20. fine — all right
  21. pit — a hole
  22. suit — in cards
  23. pitcher — in baseball
  24. staff — employees

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