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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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468
Word bank
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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 museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  2. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  3. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  4. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  5. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  6. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  7. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  8. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  9. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  10. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  11. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  12. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  13. Have you found your soul ________________?
  14. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  15. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  16. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  17. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  18. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  19. I can't ________________ this cold.
  20. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  21. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  22. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  23. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  24. This piece is in a major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — for sculpting
  2. stand — on your feet
  3. kick — a thrill
  4. kid — child
  5. wax — in the ear
  6. stand — for spectators
  7. rest — what's left
  8. board — to get on
  9. kick — with a leg
  10. wax — to grow
  11. mate — to breed
  12. rest — a break
  13. mate — a partner
  14. key — the most important part
  15. kick — in football
  16. rest — what's left
  17. mate — a friend
  18. kid — to tease
  19. stand — to bear
  20. board — a committee
  21. board — a flat piece
  22. key — for a lock
  23. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  24. key — in music

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