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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. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  2. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  3. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  4. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  5. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  6. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  7. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  8. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  9. What do you think of the new ________________?
  10. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  11. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  12. We're on a ________________ here.
  13. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  14. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  15. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  16. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  17. I can't ________________ this cold.
  18. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  19. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  20. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  21. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  22. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  23. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  24. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. kick — in football
  3. jam — a tight spot
  4. jam — in traffic
  5. wax — in the ear
  6. cabinet — a cupboard
  7. wax — for sculpting
  8. stick — to attach or keep to
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. roll — a cake
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. roll — on a roll
  13. roll — a list
  14. bear — the animal
  15. stand — for spectators
  16. bear — the animal
  17. stand — to bear
  18. wax — to grow
  19. stand — on your feet
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. kick — with a leg
  22. jam — to spread on bread
  23. bear — to put up with
  24. kick — a thrill

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