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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 124 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. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  2. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  3. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  4. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  5. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  6. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  7. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  8. Did you ________________ the meat?
  9. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  10. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  11. I'll be taking the ________________.
  12. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  13. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  14. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  15. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  16. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  17. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  18. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  19. Where did you ________________ them?
  20. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  21. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  22. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  23. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  24. ________________ games are popular in Germany.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — a thrill
  2. wax — for sculpting
  3. board — to get on
  4. chip — in a computer
  5. kick — in football
  6. season — in sport
  7. drill — army training
  8. season — to add flavour
  9. season — of the year
  10. chip — for betting
  11. tube — the underground
  12. kick — with a leg
  13. wax — to grow
  14. wax — in the ear
  15. drill — the tool
  16. mug — a cup
  17. board — a committee
  18. tube — in a tire
  19. mug — to rob
  20. tube — a container
  21. drill — a practice
  22. chip — to eat
  23. mug — a face
  24. board — a flat piece

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