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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. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  3. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  4. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  5. It's one o'clock ________________.
  6. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  7. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  8. Don't do anything ________________.
  9. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  10. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  11. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  12. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  13. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  14. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  15. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  16. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  17. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  18. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  19. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  20. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  21. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  22. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  23. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  24. This knife is not ________________ enough.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — in football
  2. rash — on the skin
  3. pound — a weight
  4. rash — a series
  5. sharp — exactly
  6. mine — an explosive
  7. pound — to hit hard
  8. rash — hasty
  9. wax — to grow
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. face — to confront
  12. calf — of the leg
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. face — part of the head
  15. kick — with a leg
  16. kick — a thrill
  17. pound — for dogs
  18. wax — for sculpting
  19. sharp — clever
  20. face — to point toward
  21. wax — in the ear
  22. mine — belonging to me
  23. mine — for digging
  24. sharp — with an edge

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