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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 120 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. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  2. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  3. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  4. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  5. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  6. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  7. My mare is ________________ in color.
  8. The tickets are free of ________________.
  9. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  10. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  11. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  12. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  13. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  14. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  15. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  16. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  17. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  18. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  19. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  20. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  21. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  22. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  23. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  24. When will it ________________ you to start?

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

Answer key

  1. bay — to keep at bay
  2. kick — with a leg
  3. suit — in cards
  4. wave — of the sea
  5. snap — to snap out of it
  6. charge — electricity
  7. bay — a horse colour
  8. charge — a price
  9. wax — in the ear
  10. suit — clothes
  11. wave — a sudden rise
  12. mine — an explosive
  13. snap — to speak sharply
  14. mine — for digging
  15. wax — to grow
  16. snap — to click
  17. kick — in football
  18. kick — a thrill
  19. wax — for sculpting
  20. bay — a part of the sea
  21. wave — with your hand
  22. charge — in control
  23. mine — belonging to me
  24. suit — to fit

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