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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. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  2. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  3. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  4. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  5. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  6. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  7. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  8. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  9. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  10. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  11. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  12. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  13. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  14. Where did you ________________ them?
  15. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  16. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  17. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  18. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  19. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  20. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  21. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  22. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  23. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  24. Do you need a ________________ with that?

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a cup
  2. wax — for sculpting
  3. wax — to grow
  4. track — to keep track
  5. band — a music group
  6. track — a path
  7. band — a ring
  8. hand — part of the body
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. band — a rubber band
  11. kick — in football
  12. fan — to cool the air
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. mug — to rob
  15. track — a song
  16. hand — in cards
  17. object — a thing
  18. kick — a thrill
  19. wax — in the ear
  20. object — an aim
  21. mug — a face
  22. object — to protest
  23. kick — with a leg
  24. hand — help

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