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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 kitten curled into a ________________.
  2. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  3. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  4. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  5. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  6. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  7. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  8. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  9. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  10. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  11. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  12. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  13. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  14. Have you met the new head ________________?
  15. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  16. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  17. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  18. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  19. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  20. That was ________________ to happen.
  21. The King held a masked ________________.
  22. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  23. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  24. We are ________________ to obey laws.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a round shape
  2. track — to keep track
  3. kick — in football
  4. kick — a thrill
  5. kick — with a leg
  6. lash — an eyelash
  7. track — a song
  8. rule — a law
  9. bound — tied together
  10. rule — to rule out
  11. coach — pulled by horses
  12. wax — in the ear
  13. lash — to lash out
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. track — a path
  16. rule — government
  17. ball — a great time
  18. lash — a whip stroke
  19. wax — to grow
  20. bound — certain
  21. ball — a dance
  22. wax — for sculpting
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. bound — obliged

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