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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 party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  2. That must've been a ________________.
  3. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  4. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  5. Don't do anything ________________.
  6. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  7. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  8. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  9. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  10. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  11. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  12. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  13. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  14. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  15. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  16. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  17. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  18. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  19. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  20. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  21. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  22. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  23. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  24. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. rash — a series
  2. rush — a thrill
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. pass — to spend time
  5. rash — hasty
  6. rush — hurry
  7. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  8. pass — to succeed
  9. dip — to sink
  10. dip — a sauce
  11. rash — on the skin
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. pitch — completely
  14. wax — to grow
  15. rush — to hurry
  16. pass — a permit
  17. wax — for sculpting
  18. kid — child
  19. dip — to dunk
  20. pitch — a sports field
  21. kid — to tease
  22. calf — of the leg
  23. pitch — a sales talk
  24. wax — in the ear

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