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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. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  2. Have you found your soul ________________?
  3. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  4. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  5. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  6. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  7. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  8. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  9. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  10. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  11. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  12. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  13. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  14. Where did you ________________ them?
  15. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  16. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  17. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  18. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  19. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  20. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  21. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  22. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  23. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  24. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?

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

Answer key

  1. wax — for sculpting
  2. mate — a partner
  3. mug — a cup
  4. snap — to snap out of it
  5. snap — to click
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. face — to point toward
  8. snap — to speak sharply
  9. cue — a hint
  10. face — to confront
  11. mate — to breed
  12. stick — to attach or keep to
  13. cue — for pool
  14. mug — to rob
  15. mug — a face
  16. cue — a signal
  17. wax — to grow
  18. face — part of the head
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. calf — of the leg
  23. wax — in the ear
  24. mate — a friend

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