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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. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  2. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  3. We're almost out of ________________.
  4. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  5. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  6. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  7. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  8. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  9. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  10. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  11. You don't need to ________________ round.
  12. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  13. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  14. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  15. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  16. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  17. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  18. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  19. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  20. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  21. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  22. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  23. The ________________ went through the wall.
  24. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. fall — to drop
  3. pop — soda
  4. fall — the season
  5. rest — what's left
  6. content — videos and posts
  7. content — happy
  8. wax — for sculpting
  9. content — the amount
  10. wax — in the ear
  11. pop — to visit
  12. kick — a thrill
  13. wax — to grow
  14. kick — with a leg
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. rest — a break
  19. kick — in football
  20. nail — on a finger
  21. hide — animal skin
  22. fall — to drop
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. pop — music

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