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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. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  3. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  4. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  5. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  6. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  7. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  8. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  9. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  10. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  11. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  12. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  13. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  14. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  15. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  16. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  17. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  18. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  19. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  20. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  21. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  22. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  23. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  24. Should I buy a wireless ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. kid — child
  2. fork — to eat with
  3. kick — with a leg
  4. mark — to pay attention
  5. mark — a grade
  6. fork — a garden tool
  7. fork — in a road
  8. mark — a trace
  9. wax — in the ear
  10. straw — dry grass
  11. jam — a tight spot
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. kick — in football
  14. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  15. straw — to clutch at straws
  16. wax — to grow
  17. wax — for sculpting
  18. straw — a straw man
  19. jam — to spread on bread
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. jam — in traffic
  22. kid — to tease
  23. kick — a thrill
  24. mouse — for a computer

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