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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. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  2. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  3. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  4. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  5. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  6. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  7. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  8. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  9. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  10. Have you met the new head ________________?
  11. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  12. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  13. She's very handy with a ________________.
  14. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  15. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  16. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  17. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  18. Have you settled on a ________________?
  19. He works in a ________________ mill.
  20. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  21. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  22. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  23. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  24. I'll take my ________________ from you.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — child
  2. date — the fruit
  3. kid — to tease
  4. kick — in football
  5. kick — a thrill
  6. content — happy
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. wax — to grow
  9. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. saw — past of 'see'
  12. coach — pulled by horses
  13. saw — the tool
  14. content — videos and posts
  15. wax — in the ear
  16. kick — with a leg
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. date — on the calendar
  19. saw — the tool
  20. content — the amount
  21. wax — for sculpting
  22. cue — a signal
  23. cue — for pool
  24. cue — a hint

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