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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. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  2. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  3. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  4. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  5. False peace will not ________________.
  6. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  7. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  8. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  9. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  10. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  11. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  12. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  13. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  14. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  15. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  16. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  17. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  18. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  19. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  20. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  21. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  22. The ________________ took off on time.
  23. Did you ________________ the meat?
  24. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. kick — a thrill
  3. last — finally
  4. kick — in football
  5. last — to go on
  6. last — final
  7. kick — with a leg
  8. fall — the season
  9. fall — to drop
  10. plane — a tool
  11. fall — to drop
  12. stick — to attach or keep to
  13. bear — the animal
  14. bear — to put up with
  15. season — of the year
  16. wax — to grow
  17. bear — the animal
  18. season — in sport
  19. wax — in the ear
  20. plane — in geometry
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. plane — an aircraft
  23. season — to add flavour
  24. wax — for sculpting

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