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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. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  2. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  3. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  4. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  5. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  6. My mare is ________________ in color.
  7. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  8. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  9. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  10. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  11. You don't need to ________________ round.
  12. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  13. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  14. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  15. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  16. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  17. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  18. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  19. When will it ________________ you to start?
  20. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  21. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  22. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  23. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  24. We're almost out of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — a thrill
  2. row — a quarrel
  3. row — a line
  4. chair — a leader
  5. object — a thing
  6. bay — a horse colour
  7. chair — to sit on
  8. object — an aim
  9. wax — in the ear
  10. object — to protest
  11. pop — to visit
  12. suit — clothes
  13. suit — in cards
  14. kick — in football
  15. kick — with a leg
  16. wax — to grow
  17. chair — a professorship
  18. bay — a part of the sea
  19. suit — to fit
  20. wax — for sculpting
  21. bay — to keep at bay
  22. row — to paddle
  23. pop — music
  24. pop — soda

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