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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. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  2. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  3. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  4. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  5. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  6. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  7. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  8. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  9. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  10. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  11. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  12. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  13. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  14. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  15. It's one o'clock ________________.
  16. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  17. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  18. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  19. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  20. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  21. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  22. When will it ________________ you to start?
  23. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  24. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — in football
  2. dip — a sauce
  3. track — to keep track
  4. straw — dry grass
  5. suit — in cards
  6. wax — in the ear
  7. fine — high quality
  8. kick — a thrill
  9. wax — to grow
  10. kick — with a leg
  11. dip — to dunk
  12. track — a song
  13. fine — a penalty
  14. fine — all right
  15. sharp — exactly
  16. sharp — clever
  17. suit — clothes
  18. straw — a straw man
  19. wax — for sculpting
  20. track — a path
  21. dip — to sink
  22. suit — to fit
  23. sharp — with an edge
  24. straw — to clutch at straws

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